Extra long chapter... could have been two... but oh well. were getting to the last five chapters of this story. next story is outlaw Sea... which I have mostly finished... would have finished it last week had my life not imploded. but at least I have a good steady diet for y'all coming up. I know y'all don't mind me taking a break, but I know I am really shit at keeping a schedule, and when I break my schedules it's really hard to get me back on it and the stories you want get left by the wayside. so I encourage you to every once in a while poke me on those stories if I don't get back to them especially if I'm posting something and you know I am alive LOL.
Forty One
Tori half remembered her dream as she woke the next morning. It had been something about rabbits. She let her eyes drift open and regarded the colorful fabric she was lying on bemusedly, recalling that every time she dreamed of animals, it was always one of those really weird dreams that made no sense and usually involved her being naked.
She wondered briefly what a psychologist would make of them. Especially the one with the talking bears. A smile inched across her face, and she turned her head a little, taking in the room with a tiny sense of the unreal. It seemed brighter in here today, she thought, eyeing the window which now let in the pale winter light.
Wonder what time it is? Tori closed her eyes and snuggled closer, reflecting on how much a good night's sleep could do for a person's outlook. She felt much more centered today, and she considered that perhaps it was because she'd faced the worst and endured it. She'd been eating herself up in knots imagining what her reception would be like, and now…
Well, now she knew. Tori took in a deep breath filled with heated air and Jade's scent. It had been as bad, or worse than she'd figured, but knowing, she discovered, was far better than wondering. Knowing you could deal with, plan for, and defend against. Wondering just kept you unbalanced.
Mmph. Tori exhaled, and wriggled a little in contentment, as she felt Jade's arm tighten around her. Jade had been her anchor through it all, she acknowledged quietly. Like a rock she'd stood there, being a windbreak, something to lean against, and a shelter when it all had gotten too much. Tori opened her eyes again and looked up at her wife in deep affection, almost jumping when her eyes met amused blue ones looking back at her. "Yah."
Jade's eyebrows lifted.
"Didn't think you were awake." Tori confessed, with a sheepish grin. "I was just lying here thinking about how wonderful you are."
The dark brows lifted even further, giving Jade an almost comical look. She let out a soft laugh and stretched in Tori's embrace, arching her back and tensing her muscles before relaxing back on the bed's surface.
"Mm.. that was like a carnival ride. Can we go again? " Tori joked.
Jade eyed her with a faint smile. "You're in a good mood." She observed. "Feeling better today?"
Tori nodded. "Yeah." She admitted. "How about you?" She touched Jade's shoulder carefully, feeling it move under her fingers as Jade experimentally flexed it.
"Eh." Jade replied. "Stiff, but not as bad as yesterday." She sounded mildly surprised. "It's not throbbing anymore." Another experiment. "Cool."
Tori smiled, and gave her a hug. "Glad to hear that." She regarded the window. "Looks like the weather got better too." She observed. "Hey… wanna get dressed and go for a walk? I could show you my favorite sledding hill before we take off."
Jade remembered her last walk in the cold. "All right." She eyed her wife. "But you better keep me warm. It looks like the arctic tundra out there." She warned. "And how about we find some breakfast first… I noticed you didn't get much off that table last night."
"I don't like pate." Tori confessed. "And neither do you. There's just so many crackers topped with bits of roast beef and horseradish I can handle." Her nose crinkled in distaste. "Besides, I wasn't really hungry." A low rumble made her chuckle a little. "I am now."
"So I hear." Jade remarked mildly. "C'mon. I may need some help in the shower."
Tori grinned. "Now that's an offer I'll never refuse."
"What do you think?" Tori spread her arms, and indicated her body. She watched Jade's face cascade from quizzical to thoughtful, to outright lecherous. "I mean the clothes, honey." She sighed, blushing at the compliment nevertheless.
"Oh." Jade laughed. "Hm." She reviewed her wife's choices thoughtfully. "Are you deliberately going for the non WASP look?" Tori had put on a long sleeve flannel shirt that she'd tucked into her nicely worn jeans, and added a cute touch of suspenders to. She also had on her hiking boots. Jade thought she looked adorable.
"Well, yeah." Tori admitted, putting her hands on her hips. "Did it work?"
"I think so." Jade told her, gravely. "Should I put on my fringe leather vest?"
"Did you bring that?" Tori's eyebrows jerked up in pleased surprise.
Jade chuckled. "No. I was joking." She drawled. "Would you settle for leather pants?"
Tori looked suspiciously at her, then went to her bag and rummaged in it. "Oh." She lifted something out. "You really have some? I never saw these before, Jade... where did you get them?" She shook out the soft, burnt caramel colored hide. "Oo.. I like."
"Thank you." Jade replied. "And you've never seen them before because I won't wear them at home."
Tori eyed her. "Too trendy for San Francisco?" She teased.
"No." Jade took the hide trousers from her. "Too hot. I figured I might get a chance to actually put them on up here so I brought them along. Give me a hand getting into them?"
Tori happily obliged, tugging the leather up and over her lover's hips. They fit comfortably, not too snug, and she neatly fastened the buttons and buckled the two criss-crossing leather belt lets that lent a somewhat offbeat touch to them. The leather was broken and butter soft, and she knelt to fasten the straps near Jade's ankles. "Meant for boots, I see."
"Mmhm." Jade agreed. "I used to have some that went with them." She was buttoning the sleeve on a tightly woven wool shirt in a creamy butter color. "Back in my wilder days."
Tori ran her fingers over the smooth leather, then sniffed it. "I like them." She commented. "You're a natural for this stuff."
Jade's lips twitched. "I'll take that as a compliment."
"You should." Tori placed a kiss on the inside of her leg, just above the knee. Then she got to her feet and offered Jade a hand. "Breakfast?"
Jade curled her fingers around Tori's and accompanied her to the door.
Shelby hid a smile behind an English muffin as they entered the breakfast room, still holding hands. "Morning, sis."
"Hi." Tori replied, releasing Jade to walk over to a seat. "Morning."
"Oh, Victoria.. " Her father looked up from her plate and stopped in mid speech, blinking at her eldest daughter. "Goodness." She hesitated. "That's very colorful, dear."
"Thanks." Tori snapped a suspender at her and sat down.
Jade continued around the table and approached the serving board with pointed determination. She evaded the uniformed server and captured two plates, then proceeded to dump what she considered proper amounts of edible items on them appropriate to both her taste and Tori's.
"Ma'am" The server murmured at her anxiously. "I'll do that for you. The family prefers service in this household."
"In my families household..." Jade answered in a normal voice. "They tossed the food down on the floor in bins, and we had to fight for it. Old habits die hard. Excuse me." She ducked around the woman and headed back towards the table.
Tori covered her face with one hand, her shoulders shaking.
"Why, Jade. I didn't know you had siblings." David rose to the challenge.
"I don't." Jade set Tori's plate down, then took the chair next to her.
"Ah." David's brow contracted, then he gave a little shake of his head. "At any rate, I'm very glad you chose to join us for breakfast. Did you have further plans for today, Victoria?"
"I was going to treat Jade to a walk in the snow." Tori finished buttering her muffin and took a bite. "And show her around the property, then we figured we'd head back to the hotel and pick up m...Jade's folks." There was really no sense, she conceded, in stinging her father with her usual address of Jim and Ceci. Not now that things seemed to be improving as far as familial acceptance went, though Tori privately admitted to herself that she was probably pushing things a little today. Just to make sure he wasn't backsliding, she picked up a piece of bacon and bit it in half, then glanced over and offered the other half to Jade.
"Ah. Saved the crispy part for me." Jade accepted the treat with a snap of white teeth. She crunched the bacon with a slight wink in Tori's direction. "Thanks."
Tori grinned back, then turned her head and met the bemused looks of her family. Take it or leave it, guys. She projected at them. This is who I am.
"You guys must be fun to watch in restaurants." Shelby commented, with a snort. "Do you slurp spaghetti together too?"
"No." Jade stated mildly. "We save that for home. It gets too messy."
Trina nearly snorted a piece of melon out of her nose.
"Hey, I bet Richard never did that with you, did he?" Shelby asked her sister pointedly.
Trina cleared her throat and swallowed. "Definitely not." She confirmed. "It took me three dates just to get him to loosen his tie." She took a sip of juice. "He's not a romantic, like Jade is."
Round blue eyes pinned her from across the table in outraged shock.
"Yeah, she gets that from her father." Tori confirmed blithely.
David had assumed a noble, serene air, apparently content to let the conversation flow over his head unimpeded. "Commander West is a terribly nice man." he did comment. "He has quite a lovely sense of humor." She had finished her breakfast, and now she stood and folded her napkin, leaving it neatly in place. "I must attend to some business matters. If you wish, Victoria, after your plans are finished, perhaps you might stay for lunch."
Tori considered the somewhat late time of the morning, and nodded. "Sure." The funeral service was scheduled for four that afternoon, and the focal point would be at the cemetery, not here at the house. They would be left in peace, at least for a little while.
Her mother nodded, then left the room. Trina propped her head up on her fist and just looked at Tori. "You are such a brat."
"Me?" Tori inquired innocently. "Why? I'm not acting out. I'm just acting normal." She crunched another strip of bacon. "I'm not going to sit here dressed in lace and pretend this is how I live. I don't." She stated firmly.
"I think you look really cute." Shelby interjected. "Trina's just jealous cause she'd never be able to pull off that outfit."
"Neither would you." Trina gave her a withering look. "Hippo butt."
"Look who's talking." Shelby retorted. "You're the one who gets their clothing at.."
"Shelby." Tori interrupted him.
Shelby stuck his tongue out at her.
"Remind me again why I wanted siblings?" Jade asked Tori, with a look of wry amusement. "You know I.." She fell silent by necessity as Tori stuffed a piece of muffin in her mouth.
"Hush." Tori put a fingertip on her nose. "You Know your Mom can still give you one of those… besides you don't have siblings because you're one of a kind… You sacred your mom out of wanting any more of you." She smiled at Jade's charmed expression. "Now, chew, so we can go explore."
Jade obliged, chewing and swallowing the bit of muffin while she watched her wife and her family trade bantering dialog. Things were definitely looking up this morning, she decided. Between her arm feeling much better, and Tori's very evident heightened spirits, they might even make the day more than tolerable. At least, Jade sighed, if they were here dealing with this disaster, they weren't back home having to deal with the Naval one waiting for her on her desk.
Telling her father had been the worst part of it, but James had, to her mild surprise, been more understanding and compassionate than she'd figured. "Gigi.." He'd said "Yer family's a ton more worth fussing over than yer job, or that pissant Navy. Don't you worry." He'd patted her on the arm. "I put that there stuff where none of them bilge fer brains'll find it, so let it lie till this thing's all done with."
Jade nibbled another piece of bacon thoughtfully. She was more than content to do that, but would those who were looking to put an end to the investigation feel the same way?
Hm.
They walked through the grounds surrounding the house, with Tori pointing out favored spots from her childhood. Then they turned out of the gates and walked along the road, its surface sloping up towards the crest of a nearby hill.
"It's such a different environment." Jade commented, crunching a bit of snow under her boots. "It's like you have two worlds in the East, a winter one and a summer one."
Tori tucked her gloved hands inside her pockets, and watched her breath plume as she exhaled. "That's true." She admitted. "You're more aware of the passage of time out here, I think." She said. "I always liked spring and summer better. We were out of school in the summer, and at least for a while, that was fun because I got to go to summer camp."
"Mm."
"Winter was always full of social stuff." Tori went on. "Dress ups, and press events, dinners… for a while I tried to get interested in current events, so I'd have something intelligent to say when they pointed the camera at me, but after a few times of that, I got told to just shut up and look good."
Jade looked at her.
Tori shrugged. "What can I tell you, Jade? They didn't want to hear what I had to say, or maybe they were afraid I'd develop an embarrassing view on something." She chuckled softly. "If they'd only known."
"Did you?" Jade asked. "Develop a view different from your mother's?"
Tori considered the question. "I liked some of her positions on things." She admitted. "I thought her view on keeping families together was good, though now after knowing what was going on with that other woman, the hypocrisy kind of stinks." She added. "She knew a lot more about international politics than I did, and I didn't have the maturity to understand the machinations he was doing here locally to control funding, and maintain a conservative edge in an increasingly progressive state."
Jade grunted thoughtfully.
"I didn't really start disagreeing with her until I was in college." Tori went on. "When I got exposed to the wider world and the many kinds of people in it."
"Ever talk to her about that?"
"No." Tori shook her head, and leaned forward a little as they started up a steeper part of the hill. "I tried, once. But she told me if that's what college was doing to me, she'd put a stop to it."
Jade simply stopped walking,. Tori moved on a few steps, then turned and regarded her. "I want to know something." Jade asked. "How in the hell did you become the hellion on wheels that told me to go to hell in San Francisco? "
Ah. Good question. Tori walked back over to where Jade was and took her hand, leading her upward toward the crest of the hill. "It wasn't something that happened overnight." She explained. "It was something that was building a little at a time, until I got home after I graduated college with my degree, and was told I was being put to work as a spokeswoman/receptionist in one of my mother's cronies companies."
They got to the top of the hill, and Tori paused, regarding the view. "I knew I had a choice. Either put my money where my mouth was and get the hell out of here, or stay here and accept the inevitable." She walked over to a tall, almost bare tree, and patted its bark. "So I came up here that night, and just spent hours looking up at the stars, and just made my decision."
Jade joined her. "Not a popular one."
"No." Tori exhaled. "I called Daniel and told him, after I accepted Buzz's job offer that next morning, then I just packed, told my parents I was taking the job, and left." She leaned on the tree. "But they didn't make it easy. She kept after me constantly. They hoped they'd wear me down and I'd just give up and come home."
Jade gazed at her quietly. "And I almost made that happen."
Tori turned and looked at her. "Almost." She agreed, very softly. "But you also were what made me choose my life over their plans for it and that more than makes up for what might have been, Jade." She decided to lighten up the conversation. "So, here we have my very first decision tree."
Jade studied Tori's face for a few moments, then she relaxed into a smile. "Nice view up here." She indicated the opposite slope. "That where you used to slide down?" The hill was fairly steep, and featured a long stretch of even whiteness, ending in a fairly clear area at the bottom with only a few trees that might provide a dangerous impediment.
"Yep." Tori sighed. "Wish we had a sled… I'd love to take you for a ride."
"Well." Jade removed her small pen knife from her pocket. "First thing's first."
Tori walked over and eyed the knife. "Honey, I love you, but you can't cut down the tree with that to make a sleigh for me. I just won't let you." She warned, with a serious look. "I'd rather get the car and drive to Walmart. "
Jade started laughing.
"No, really, sweetie." Tori took the knife from her fingers.
"Give me that." Jade swiped the tool back. "I wasn't going to cut the damn tree down. " She circled the bark and found a good spot. "Just do a little carving." She set to work, with Tori peering over her shoulder.
"Oh." Tori smiled. "Okay." She turned away and began to explore the hilltop, kicking bits of half buried wood around with the toe of her hiking boot. The wind was stiffer up here, and it blew her hair back as she gazed down the slope, stinging her eyes with its chill.
"That night seems so long ago." She spoke to the air. "I was so scared. I didn't know what I was getting myself into, or where I might end up being." The branches overhead chuckled together. "But I looked up at those stars, and they told me to follow my heart." She turned and watched Jade, her brow creased in concentration as she carved careful letters. "And that's what I ended up doing, isn't it?"
"You say something to me?" Jade poked her head around the tree trunk. "Almost done."
Tori strolled back over and kissed Jade on the nose. "Take your time, Geppetto." She admired the neat heart shaped cut, and the curved letters taking form under Jade's skilled hands. "I bet you could carve wood, if you wanted to."
"Isn't that what I'm doing?" Jade finished a K and started on the S. "Or do you mean like sitting on the porch in a rocking chair whittling kind of thing." She flicked a piece of bark out of her way. "I think I'll wait for retirement for that, when I'm too old and creaky to do anything else."
Tori rested her chin on Jade's shoulder, and exhaled. "We can be old and creaky together." She said, "Can you imagine what great memories we'll have by then?" She asked, with a touch of wonder in her voice. "What an amazing thought. I want to talk to Beck when we see him this Christmas."
Jade looked up from what she was doing and blinked. She didn't know if she was ready to do that yet, "yeah?"
"I know you're not ready. But I thought we should have a discussion to understand where he is on that decision."
Jade nodded, and pursed her lips. "A discussion I can do." Tori smiled and kissed her wife's nose once more. Distracted, Jade turned her head and captured her lips. "Yeah, let's talk."
Tori smiled, and turned back to the landscape and gave a contented sigh.
Jade finished her work, and turned her head. "You like?"
A simple heart, with four initials, and a plus sign. Tori sighed in deep satisfaction. "I love." She leaned forward and kissed Jade on the lips. "Thank you."
They walked back down the hill holding hands. Tori knew they were watched from behind kitchen curtains, knew the whispers, knew the scandalous looks they were collecting, and the only thing that knowledge evoked in her was an intense desire to laugh.
There were cars in the driveway when they got back to the house. One, Tori realized, was Jim and Ceci's rental car, and she nudged Jade and pointed to it. "Hey!" The other was Richard and Trinas, and she guessed her brother in law had come over. The third she didn't recognize.
"Huh. Thought they were going to wait at the hotel for us." Jade commented, as they strolled up the walk. "Hope everything's okay." The front door opened as they approached, and the doorman gave them a brief smile as they entered the house.
It was quiet, but they could hear voices from the solarium, and one of those voices was easily identifiable in it's low drawling tones. Tori led the way into the garden and waved at the group seated near the end of the glassed-in area. "Hey, folks."
"Goodness!" A clear voice erupted, and a small, silver haired form popped up like an albino meerkat from the bench. "Victoria! There you are!"
Tori stopped, and blinked, then smiled. "Aunt Penny!"
Her aunt hurried around the bench and rushed over to her, giving her an enthusiastic hug. "Hello, my dear! You look wonderful!" Aunt Penny stated. "Hello to you too, Jade. It's good to see you again."
"Same here." Jade responded cordially, having developed a liking for Tori's perky elder relative.
Aunt Penny clasped both of their arms and led them over to the benches, where Jade's parents, and David Vega were seated. "And I've just met your lovely parents, Jade. Wonderful!"
Jade felt her face reacting, saw her father do likewise, and heard her mother snicker as she realized they both probably had the same expression on. She walked over and took a seat next to her father and exhaled, extended her leather covered legs out a little and regarding her boots as she listened to Tori and Aunt Penny exchange pleasantries with David.
"You ready to go home?" James asked, in a low voice.
Jade glanced at him. "Does it show?"
Her father patted her knee, then poked it. "Whacha got here, Gigi? Alligator pants?"
"Leather." Jade chuckled, smoothing the hide. "Stuck in the back of my closet."
James studied the garment. "Ah do believe I remember when you got them there pants." He mused, then glanced around and lowered his voice again. "Did you hear what happened last night?"
"No." Jade leaned on the arm of the chair she was sitting in. "What?"
Tori was glad to see Aunt Penny. At least one of her relatives, she reflected, actually liked her and didn't mind saying so. "We just took a walk up to the hill." She said, in answer to her father's query. "I wanted to show Jade my old sledding spot."
"Goodness, do you still have that Flyer around here, Cyndi?" Aunt Penny asked. "I quite remember young Victoria here doing battle with a tree on it years ago."
"Ouch." Tori rubbed her nose in memory. "No, that one's been gone a long time." She spared a sad thought for it's passing. "Jade was going to chop a tree down and make one, but I convinced her we didn't have time."
Everyone looked over at Jade, who looked back with devastating innocence. "Tell you what." She replied. "We'll go up to Aspen and I'll make it up to you." She was in a much better mood after hearing about Gary's firing, and only wished she'd been there to see it.
Tori grinned. "You're on." She said. "After your shoulder heals, that is."
"Oh yeah. Get that cleared up just in time fer her to break a laig." James chuckled.
Everyone chuckled along with him, even Jade, who folded her arms over her chest. "I wasn't the one who took out six ski instructors and a sled dog." She remarked to her father. "Or that tent."
"Mm… I remember that." Ceci grimaced. "That dog was really mad."
David leaned forward, placing her hands precisely into her lap. "That sounds very interesting. Do you ski, Commander?"
"Not very well." Ceci told her, ignoring the snort from her husband. "Between him and Jade, they cleared the slopes."
Another chuckle made its way around the small circle. "Well. Isn't that fun." Aunt Penny patted Tori on the knee. "Sounds like you have your work cut out for you, dear."
"Yes." David agreed quickly. "Do stay for lunch, will you? It's almost served."
Tori glanced at Jade, who faintly lifted one shoulder in a shrug. "Sure." She said. "Lloyd just landed an hour again, Gives them time to refuel anyway."
They all got up to move into the dining room. Tori brought up the rear and was surprised when her father held a hand out, slowing them both down. "What's up?" She asked quietly.
"Victoria, could I speak with you, briefly?" Her father asked. "Alone?"
Ah. Tori ran over the list of possible subjects, and decided it was probably safe unless her father was going to give her 'that speech' - and it was a little too late for that. "Sure." She waved at Jade, who was waiting in the doorway. "G'wan. I'll catch up."
Jade studied her for a moment, then nodded and slipped out of the room, leaving them alone together. "So." Tori turned and leaned against one of the large planters. "What's on your mind?"
Tori waited for the voice to stop, keeping her eyes fastened on the shifting sun outside the glass panes. Then she turned. "I can't believe you're asking me that."
"Victoria." Her father held up a hand. "Please, at least consider it. You would be excellent in this role."
"Papi." Tori took a breath and held her temper. "I''m very happy with the life I have. I'm not changing it."
"I'm not saying you aren't, dear." David said. "And certainly, I realize you're very attached to your friend Jade, and she would be welcome here as well."
Tori regarded her for a moment. "You really don't get it, do you?" She sighed. "No, Papi. I won't accept a position here." She paused, then went on. "For one thing, you can't afford me. Jade pays me a hell of a lot better than Mother ever paid anyone."
"But.." David stopped. "Well, I'm sure… " he stopped again. "It's not just the money, Victoria. We want you to come back here, and be part of your family. Surely you can understand that."
"For another thing." Tori went on as though she hadn't heard. "I don't like Connecticut ." She absorbed her mother's slightly shocked look. "I love living in California."
"But.."
"Jade and I have a wonderful life together, Papi. Why would I want to change that?" Tori asked in frustration. "Don't you understand yet this isn't some passing phase I might grow out of?"
David took a seat on a nearby bench, and folded her hands. "I do understand that you and Jade are very fond of each other, dear."
Tori walked over and sat down next to her. "No, you don't.." She stated gently. "We love each other."
David was silent.
"I love Jade with all my heart." Tori said. "She is my life. We're partners in every sense of the wife She's everything I could have ever wished for in someone to share the rest of my life with." She waited for comment, and got none. "So, though I'm really glad you fired that bastard Gary, and the rest of those useless dog poops, I'm not going to come here and take their place."
Her father sighed.
"I'm going to go home, and take my jacket off, and play with my dog, and soak in the hottub with Jade under the stars tonight just because we can." Tori told her. "Catch up on my business email and get ready to go back to work."
They were both silent for a few moments. Tori exhaled, and rubbed her temples. "Look, I know that's not what you wanted to hear, and honestly, I do appreciate the welcome you've given both me and Jade."
"Actually." David murmured. "I do quite like Jade." He admitted. "I find her intelligence refreshing."
The way to my heart, Tori realized with a weak, internal laugh, is through praising my partner. Imagine that. "It's one of the things I like most about her." She smiled at her father . "She's smarter than I am. "
"Surely not." Her mother frowned. "You've quite a good brain, Victoria. You always have had."
"Funny. You and mother were always so ready for me to end up a receptionist." Tori felt the words slip out. "I never thought my brain ever entered the plans."
"That's not so. She was very proud of your skills, especially when you were in high school." Her father disagreed. "He was simply anxious to channel them into something practical."
"I think I found something more practical to channel them into." Tori remarked dryly.
David got up and walked over to the frosted windows, gazing out in silence. "I thought perhaps you would at least think about this, Victoria." She exhaled. "Yes, I realize you do have your own life, and all that, but this is not such a terrible thing I'm asking, is it? We just want you to be a part of our lives, as well."
Tori searched the ceiling, looking for patience and finding precious little. "Why?" She finally asked.
Her father turned. "Pardon?"
"Why?" Tori repeated. "Why is it so important that I come back here?"
David frowned. "Is that a serious question? You are my daughter, and a member of our family."
"No, I'm not." Tori replied quietly. "Did you forget? I got thrown out of this family a year ago."
Her father exhaled. "That wasn't… your mother was very upset at the time, Victoria. She was simply frustrated and angry. As were you."
Tori looked at him. "I'm sorry." She stated. "You all stood there and let her do that, then you let her bully my sisters into shunning me at the hearings, you stood by while they threw me into an insane asylum..." Her voice had gotten louder and louder. "And now you think I want to come back?" She stood. "Are you nuts?"
David stared at her in shock.
":Why in the hell would you think I wanted, or even more, needed you?"
"Victoria!" Her father gasped. "Think of what you're saying! No one meant any harm to you.."
"BULLSHIT." Tori was really angry now. "You never cared a rats ass about me. All that mattered was what I looked like, how many eliglble boys I could bring over the house for Mommy to wind around his finger, and how soon I could get married to become a family brood cow."
"Victoria.":
"Don't call me that." Tori spat out., her breath coming fast. "I don't know who the hell you people think you are, or what gave you the right to bastardize my life for all these years, but…"
The door opened and Jade entered, pale blue eyes flashing, her hands flexing lightly as she bolted to Tori's side and glared at her father. "What the hell is going on in here?"
Tori drew in a breath, and released it, lifting a hand up and touching Jade's side. She could feel Jade's ribs expanding and contracting, the muscles under her fingertips tense and almost vibrating with tension. "My father wants me to give up my job, and my life, and come home to be his office manager." She stated flatly.
Jade looked at her, then at David, who turned her head in discomfort. "Nice." She finally said. "I think I can outbid her, though."
Tori laughed humorlessly.
"What the hell is your problem?" Jade asked David.
Tori's mother looked very upset. "I am trying to bring my family back together. There is no crime in that." He ran frantic fingers through his hair. "I can see it was a mistake to ask, however."
Tori closed her eyes and felt sick to her stomach. She leaned against Jade, and felt Jade's arm curl around her in a reassuring hug. "Why can't you just let me be happy?" She asked in a very quiet voice. "Is that too much to ask?"
"I.." David paused, then sighed. "I have no idea what that is, so perhaps I simply can't understand your viewpoint, Victoria." he sat down. "I'm just trying to do what I feel is right."
Jade glanced down and caught the reflection of light off the tears she could see rolling down Tori's cheeks. "What's right is for you to accept Tori for what and who she is." Jade said. "And stop trying to remake her into an image that was never her to begin with."
"I have known my daughter far longer than you have." David reminded her stiffly.
"You never knew her at all." Jade answered right back. "And no, you can't have her back. She was never yours to begin with."
Tori sniffled, and glanced up, peeking at Jade from under damp lashes. "My, aren't we possessive." She murmured, with a wan smile.
Jade looked at her.
"Nice feeling." Tori whispered. "Thanks."
"Hmph." Jade kissed her gently on the head. "C'mon. Let's go home."
"Wait." David held a hand up, then crossed over to them. "Please, let us not leave in anger, again." he touched Tori's arm. "I am sorry, Victoria. You are right. I don't understand what it is you want. Please believe that I was only trying to help you."
Tori looked at her. "I know." She murmured. "I'm sorry I lost my temper. There's just so many things I get so angry about when I think of them."
Her father glanced down at the marble floor.
"Maybe seeing Gary brought a lot of that bad." Tori went on. "He was always the worst."
A soft throat clearing made them glance over at the now open solarium door. It was one of the butlers. "Mr. Vega? The man asked, hesitantly. "There's a policeman here to see you."
David blinked in honest astonishment. "To see me? What on earth for?"
"I don't know, Sir. He mentioned something about an accident." The man replied. "Shall I show him in here?"
Jade and Tori exchanged looks, then looked at David. David lifted her hands in a tiny gesture of puzzlement, then nodded. "Certainly. Please do so."
The officer entered, taking off his hat and giving Mr. Vega a respectful nod. "Sir."
"Come in, officer." Tori's father offered. "What can we do for you? This is my daughter Victoria, and her "friend" Jade."
Tori and jade rolled their eys as they glanced at each other.
The policeman gave them both brief nods as well, then turned back to David. "Sir, I'm sorry to bother you. I know this is a bad time, but we're investigating an accident that happened near here, and we just need to ask you some questions."
David looked properly and politely bewildered. "Me? Well, certainly, please sit down." he took a seat and waited for the man to join him. Tori and Jade took advantage of a nearby bench. "I'm sorry, but I haven't been out of the house for quite some time. I'm not sure what I can hope to tell you. " He glanced at Jade and Tori. "My daughter was out for a walk earlier. Perhaps it's she you wish to speak with? Victoria, did you see anything while you were out?"
"No." Tori shook her head. "Nothing except trees, snow, and a couple of buried cars."
"No, sir , it's not something you saw." The policeman flipped open a pad, and checked something. "Do you know a man by the name of Gary Evans?"
It was the last thing any of them expected. "Why, yes." David replied slowly. "He… well, at least until yesterday, he worked on my.. late wife's staff." She fell silent. "Has something happened to him?"
"I'm afraid so, Sir . He was driving down the highway last night and apparently he passed out at the wheel. His car drove off the road and hit a tree." The officer hesitated. "He's dead, sir."
Tori blinked, absorbing the news with a wild mixture of emotions. She took a deep breath, and released it, knowing that as a human, and a Christian, she should feel some sort of sorrow for the passing of another mortal. Especially thinking him dead for the second time.
She didn't.
Oh well. Tori looked up at Jade, who had an interested, speculative look on her face. "What are you thinking?" She whispered.
"Poetic justice." Jade answered succinctly. "And, gee. Now your Mother will have someone to talk to down there."
Tori winced.
"Sorry. You asked." Jade murmured. "I'm not going to even pretend to be slightly sorry that bastard's dead. I only hope he didn't ruin the tree."
"My goodness." David had been saying. "I can't.. I hardly know what to say." She shook her head. "What time was it? He left here just about midnight, I believe."
The officer nodded. "About an hour or so after that, sir . Do you have any idea what he'd been doing between the time he left and then? Only takes about ten minutes drive to get where he was."
"I haven't a mortal clue." The older man answered, stunned. "He left in quite a hurry. I'm afraid he was quite upset. I had just released him, and the rest of my late wife's staff from employ."
"Ah." The officer grunted, writing that down. "Was he a drinker?"
"I have no idea. Certainly, in social situations. I never had any reason to believe it was more frequent than that." David looked over at Tori, a touch helplessly. "Did you think so, Victoria?"
Gary? A drunk? "No." Tori shook her head as the policeman looked over at her. "I haven't lived here for over a year, but Gary was employed by my father for many years prior to that. I never thought he drank, or in fact, did drugs or anything like that." She paused thoughtfully. "In fact, he was a health freak."
The officer nodded again. "That seems right, ma'am. His car had a lot of equipment in it, and gym clothes." He closed his book. "Well, I'm sorry to have to pass that information to you, Mr. Vega. I realize it's lousy timing." He settled his hat back onto his head. "You confirmed when he left here, that's all I really needed. We'll try to backtrack now and see where he went first."
"Officer." Jade spoke up for the first time. "Seems like a lot of investigating over a car accident."
The man eyed her shrewdly. "We like to be sure, ma'am, especially when it's a former employee of a government family." He stated carefully. "We just want to make sure everything's what it seems to be." He touched the hat brim. "Mr. Vega, Ms. Vega, ma'am."
His footsteps sounded loud on the parquet floor, and the door opening and closing echoed softly in the silence that he left behind him.
"Well." David Vega said. "What a shock."
"Mm.." Tori agreed. "Yeah.. oh my god, I wonder if Daniel knows?"
Her father gasped softly. "Oh! We should call him, at once!" He got up and hurried from the room, leaving them behind with out so much as another single word.
Tori sighed, and leaned against Jade. "Wow."
"Yeah." Jade's voice was quiet. "You okay now?"
Tori considered that. "Yeah." She said. "I feel better, kinda. I think I was wanting to get that out of my system for a while."
"Mm."
"Let's go."
"You mean it this time?" Jade gave her an affectionate look. "You're not teasing me?"
"Let's go." Tori stood up and offered Jade her hand. "Let's get mom and dad, and get the hell out of here." She replied positively. "But we have to make one stop before the airport."
Jade followed her out of the room, their hands still clasped. "Where's that?" She asked, as they walked across to the dining room.
"Dairy Queen." Tori replied firmly.
Tori had never been so glad to get on a damn airplane. She settled into her seat with a long, relieved sigh, and put her head back against the leather headrest, closing her eyes and willing the plane up and gone. Jade had taken the seat next to her and she found herself mildly resenting the fact that they were not alone.
Tori wanted to get close, and curl up in Jade's arms for a nap. She regarded the lighting controls with a feeling of mild embarrassment at the thought, reminding herself that she was a grown up who'd left the need for a teddy bear and security blanket behind long ago.
Hadn't she? Tori kept her eyes closed as the flight attendant came by and listened as Jade's low burr ordered them both drinks. Maybe it was just the whole situation, just finally getting to be too much. She sighed, wishing they were already home, wanting the normality of that back around her.
Even going back to work would be very welcome. Tori opened one eye and peered at Jade. "What ever happened with that UPS?" She hadn't gotten paged again on it, so she figured Jade had done something or other to clear the issue.
Jade looked up from her tablet as she was online shopping. "I threatened to cut off the cable feed in the city, and they got the replacement unit out in six hours." She replied. "Hey, look. New toys. Want one?" One long finger pointed at a page.
Tori goggled at her. "Could you really do that?"
"Buy you a new toy? Sure." Jade replied, then grinned. "Cut off their cable? We manage their head end facility, so yeah, if I wanted to get down and dirty enough I could." She dug into her pocket and removed her phone. "Now, do you like red or onyx?"
Tori peered at the magazine. "Oo." She pulled it closer. "A Swiss army knife for nerds? Does it have a… oh, good grief, it does. How cool." She glanced up at Jade. "We should get these as Christmas gifts for Sinjin's staff."
Jade considered that. "Mm.. something they can actually use instead of a box of chocolates and a gift certificate to Walmart?" She said. "Though, those are both useful. Sort of." She waited for the cellphone to be answered, then crisply ordered a case of the knives in each color, sending the order taker into a mini ecstasy of delight. "We should brand them and use them as pitch gimmicks, too." Jade mused. "Maybe if Jose's really good, I'll let him look at mine."
"Why don't you just get him one?" Tori asked, flipping through the magazine with interest.
"It has sharp implements on it. I don't want to be liable if he cuts his fingers would kill me." Jade muttered, as she completed her purchase and closed the phone. "See anything else you like?"
"Mm." Tori let her eyes wander off the page and up across Jade's profile. "Yeah." Then she chuckled and wet one fingertip with her tongue, reaching over and rubbing a spot on Jade's cheek. "Can't take you anywhere, JaeJae. Look at you with chocolate all over your face."
"Shh." Jade glanced behind them, where her parents were settled. "Not so loud.. you'll get treated to an hour of stories about what I used to do with my food."
"Oh really?" Tori asked, in a much louder voice.
Blue eyes narrowed. "Victoria."
Tori chuckled. "Ah… why does that sound so different when you say it?" She exhaled and let her head rest on the leather again, but half turned to keep Jade in view. "Boy, I'm glad we're going home."
"Yeah?" Jade gazed quietly at her. "Me too."
"You look tired." Tori could see the strain around the edges of her lover's eyes.
Jade sighed. "Those damn drugs." She rubbed her eyes wearily. "Between that and what I'm taking them for, I just want to crawl into my damn waterbed and stay there for a day or so."
"I can arrange for that." Tori reassured her. "In fact, I can arrange for a nice hot water bottle for you to wrap around too." She was looking forward to seeing their home, and Chino, and settling down on the couch next to Jade with a cup of hot tea.
Leaving her family, and Connecticut and all that stood for behind her.
Tori curled her fingers around Jade's as their arms rested together on the center console. The touch was warm, and it felt good around her chilled hands. Jade rubbed her skin gently with her thumb, and Tori felt a quiet lethargy steal over her.
Maybe she could doze off until they left…
"Tor?"
Tori opened her eyes, blinking them in confusion as she tried to reconcile her memories of the last few moments with what she was seeing. "Uh?"
"We're about to land, hon." Jade smiled, tucking the soft, blue blanket around her.
"Land?" Tori asked, bewildered. "Did I…" She glanced outside, seeing the distinctive pattern of San Francisco through the window. "Son of a… I slept the whole time?"
"Mmhm." Jade confirmed, stretching her body out then relaxing again. She stifled a yawn of her own, glad beyond reason to feel the tightening in her eardrums as the plane descended. After a few moments, the tires hit, the engines reversed, and they were rolling to a halt on the long expanse of runway.
Home. Jade felt her entire body relax, and she unbuckled her seat belt quiet against the repeated pleas of the cabin crew. Yes, she realized they were on an active taxiway. Yes, she realized the captain would turn off the seat belt sign when they were safely parked at the gate.
She smiled as she remembered a flight where an entire floral arrangement, taken from a birthday party with large blown glass ornaments had imploded in flight due to the pressure change. They'd almost had to turn around and land before the rattled flight attendants had identified the sounds.
And then the woman threatened to sue the airline for destroying her centerpiece. Jade shook her head. People were weird. She glanced out the window as flashing lights caught her attention, and saw another plane surrounded by emergency vehicles. "Wonder what that's all about?" She nudged Tori, who was obediently gathering her personal belongings.
Tori turned and leaned on the armrest, peering out of the small window. "Hm. Mostly police, no fire rescue, could be anything. Maybe a hijack attempt?"
"Drugs." Jade disagreed, watching over her shoulder. "See the dogs?"
"Ah.. well, no, could be explosives."
"Mm." Jade acknowledged. "Guess we'll read about it in tomorrow's Chronicle."
"Okay." Tori settled back in her seat as the plane turned to enter it's assigned gate area. "But you have to read me the comics first." She grinned as her lover gave her a look. They'd developed what was, to Tori, a charming habit of diving through Memes in their social feeds for the funny ones, then sharing them with each others, and their respective horoscopes. That was after their run and mutual shower, while the coffee was brewing for the drive to work.
Tori sighed happily. She was so looking forward to that. She fairly ached for the normality of it. The plane bumped to a halt and she released her seat belt, standing up alongside Jade who had turned to talk to her parents.
"No offense to your home state, Tori, but I'm glad I'm no longer in it." Ceci stated
Tori snorted, as it was also her home state. "Like I wasn't counting the minutes?" She took a deep breath as the cabin door opened and a gust of moderately warm, moderately moist air blew in, tinged with aviation fuel but welcome nonetheless. She shouldered her laptop and edged out in front of Jade, giving the flight attendant a smile as she exited the plane onto the jetway.
"Ah. Air conditioning in December. I must be home." Jade remarked as they walked up the sloping path. Already, they could hear the clamor of the airport loudspeaker, in a combination of English and Spanish that matched the conversations going on around them.
"Oh yeah." Tori agreed, as they moved out of the gate and into the flow of terminal traffic "I remember my very first experience getting off a plane here. I walked ten feet, put my bag down, stared, and wondered what in the world I'd gotten myself into." It had been more than culture shock, that was for sure. It had been an exotic, intimidating new world.
Now, it was just home, and she welcomed the bustling activity and the riot of color that surrounded them. "You up for a café con leche?" She asked Jade. "It'll take them twenty minutes to bring the car up anyway. You did valet it, right?"
"You bet your…" Jade's eyes wandered. "Yes, I did." She grinned, mindful of her father's inquisitive presence. "You parked or what, dad?"
"Ah am about to go get me that truck." James told her. "Figgered we'd talk to you two later on. " He gave Jade a pat on the back, and accepted a hug from Tori, then ambled off, with a waving Ceci in tow.
"Bye." Tori waggled her fingers back. "They're so cute."
Jade arched a brow at her. "I'll go turn my valet ticket in. Did you say something about coffee a minute ago?" She bumped Tori with her hip towards the coffee bar. "Get me a cheese empanada too."
Mm. Tori obediently trotted over to the coffee bar, leaning against its polished surface as the attendant came over. "Dos café con leche, dos empanadas de queso, por favor."
The boy grinned at her. "Si, Senorita." He replied, turning towards the espresso machine. Tori slid onto the stool and watched him idly, enjoying the sharp, distinctive scent of the brewing coffee as she listened to the conversations around her. Football and soccer mostly, with a spattering of the stock market, and one very excited discussion about deep sea fishing. She turned around as her coffee and pastries were delivered , paying for them and receiving another smile from the server as she left a tip.
She picked up her goodies and shouldered her bag, heading for the automatic doors leading outside. Jade was leaning against a support pole, her sunglasses now firmly settled on the bridge of her nose. "Rats. I forgot." Tori handed Jade the bag and dug inside her briefcase pocket for her own glasses, a nifty wraparound pair Jade had gotten her not long before. She let her bag sit between her feet as she straightened, and accepted the cup of steaming liquid Jade held out to her. "Thank you, ma'am."
"Ma'am?" Jade laughed, as she took a sip.
Tori leaned against her and sucked happily at her drink, enjoying the rich, sweet flavor. The air was cool and equally sweet, and she felt a sense of pure, animal well-being as she watched the confusion of traffic trying to get to the curbside. Soon enough, she spotted Jade's Volvo making its way toward them, and she actually almost felt like hugging it. "Want me to drive?" She asked her lover. "Give your arm a break?"
Jade's face went still for a moment, then she exhaled. "Okay." She accepted her keys from the valet and put her bag in the back seat as Tori took them from her fingers and circled the car. They settled into the leather seats and Tori took a moment to adjust the driver's seat
Tori dodged a speeding Mercedes and settled down to the relatively short drive home. "Hey, Jade?"
"Yeeess?" Jade had her head tipped back and her eyes closed.
"I keep forgetting to ask you, and you did mention it twice, so it's not your fault." Tori said. "What was the deal you set up with the Navy, for that information?"
Jade's eyes opened, and she regarded the fawn header on the Volvo. "Ah." She drew in a breath and released it. "That's right. I guess I have to lay that out for you, don't I?"
Tori glanced at her, then back at the road. "Well.. Imean, it doesn't have to be right now, but I was curious… "
"No, now's as good a time as any." Jade remarked. "I should have just told you earlier." Her expression turned pensive. "I agreed to destroy the information, and forget what I'd seen in return for the Navy outsourcing all of their IS to us."
Tori almost hit the car in front of her. She hastily applied her brakes, then turned her head and stared at Jade in utter disbelief. "You what?" A horn honked, and she hastily pulled the Volvo over onto the curb and parked it. "What?"
Pale blue eyes regarded her warily. "That was my price. If they wanted me to shut up." She said. "So they did. Gerry got them to agree to the outsourcing deal." She watched Tori's face carefully, wondering what she was thinking.
Tori covered her eyes with one hand "You blackmailed the US Government?"
Had she? Jade rubbed her chin with one hand. "Yeah, I guess I did." She admitted.
Slim fingers slid aside, revealing green eyes that peeked out from between them. "Jade Giana West, what am I going to do with you?"
Jade smiled wistfully. "I don't know. It was nice having you think I just chucked it all because I wouldn't leave you." She reflected in a quiet voice. "Just a moment of altruistic heroism I didn't actually have."
Tori studied her lover for a moment, then reached over and cupped her cheek with one hand, but didn't say anything. They looked at each other for a moment, then Tori put the Volvo in gear and resumed driving. Concentrating on the traffic gave her a chance to think about what Jade had told her, and how she felt about it.
Was she mad at Jade for not telling her? Tori nibbled the inside of her lip. Yeah, a little. It meant a huge workload for her, and dozens of things she now had to take into account. But, on the other hand – given what had been going on at the time, had she really wanted to deal with that too?
No. Tori admitted to herself. She'd had no desire whatsoever to add to the stress level she'd been suffering under. So, Jade had probably done her a favor in keeping that quiet until now. She did wonder, though, about what Jade had said about how she felt. A quick glance showed her a somber profile.
Jade thought she was disappointed, Tori realized. Was she? It had been flattering, of course – for her to realize Jade had just chucked everything to be at her side.
But…
But it had also hurt to know she'd been the thing that had caused Jade to relinquish something she knew was so important to her.
Honor. Her integrity. Regardless of what WesTrek had gotten out of the deal, it didn't change the fact that Jade had traded off doing what she knew was the right thing, just to be the rock Tori had so desperately needed right then. "Jade?"
"Hm?"
"Does that mean we integrate all the people working in IS for the Navy?"
"The ones we want, just like usual." Jade replied cautiously.
"So, you get to fire the rest of them?"
"Reject them for integration. The Navy will have to place them in another job code, yes."
Tori smiled humorlessly. "Paybacks are a bitch, aren't they?"
Jade stifled a yawn, and allowed her body to relax on the leather sofa in their living room. They'd gotten in the house, suffered Chino's greeting, and now Tori was in the kitchen filling Andre in on what had gone on the past few days.
It was, aside from the low buzz of voices in the kitchen, blessedly quiet in the house, and Jade let her head drop against the plushly stuffed arm of the sofa, welcoming the rich scent of the leather and the warmth of the long stripe of sunlight that was coming in the front window and painting a golden swath across her body.
She could, she acknowledged, go into her study and find out what was waiting to pounce on her in her mailbox.
She could. Jade wriggled into a more comfortable position and closed her eyes. But she wasn't going to. Tomorrow would come soon enough, and if there was anything of a truly disastrous nature, she'd have been notified before now, right? Hm. She pulled her cell phone out and checked it, making sure it was on. Nope,, no calls. Good.
A cold nose investigated her arm, and she opened her eyes again. "Hey, Chino. Did you give up on getting cookies from mommy Tori?"
Sad brown eyes regarded her, then Chino climbed up onto the wide couch and settled down with a grunt, licking all of Jade's exposed skin within her reach.
"Aw." Jade stroked the Labrador's soft, thick fur. "I missed you too, baby." She quickly looked around to make sure no one had heard her, then ruffled the dog's ears. "You're such a sweetie, aren't you."
Chino put her muzzle down on Jade's chest, and exhaled happily.
Jade exhaled too. It was over. Damn, she was glad it was over. Now they could settle down and get on with their life together, and concentrate on happier things. Like Christmas, for instance. Jade wiggled her toes in mild glee and considered the boxes she had hidden in the crawl space. Presents for Tori, of course, and Chino, but also for her parents, something she hadn't done for many years, and for the assorted friends Tori had invited over for the Christmas party.
Christmas party, Jade had firmly insisted. Christmas, Christmas, Christmas, not birthday.
But Tori had snickered, which meant she'd at least have to suffer through a cake and a chorus. Hm. Jade mentally made a note to ask, in a circumspect way of course, if the cake was to be Tori's double chocolate mousse killer cake. That was worth a round of Happy Birthday to you, if nothing else was.
Yeah. Jade grinned, licking her lips at the thought.
"Holy cow, Tori." Andre rubbed his friend's arm sympathetically. "What a nightmare."
"Yeah." Tori was sprawled on one of the two stools in the kitchen. "You can say that again. Thanks a bunch for staying by here."
"No problem." The man assured her. "I was glad to do it. Chinie's a sweetie, and Jade's folks are great people."
"They sure are." Tori smiled. "You have no idea how glad I was to see them when they showed up. Oh, my god, Dre.. I was literally standing in a pit full of vipers, with that bastard Gary coming right at me when bam, talk about the cavalry coming over the hill."
Andre grinned. "Jade's father is so hooked on you. It's so sweet." She told Tori "You should have heard them when they showed the television report and we spotted you, just before they left. Man... the two of them went off!"
Tori sighed. "That sucked." She rested her head on her hand, leaning an elbow on the counter. "I don't think I"ve ever had a lousier couple of days, I can tell you that. After we got back to the hotel, Trina called and told me the staff thought it would be better if I didn't come down there, because of Jade."
"To hell with them!" Andre snorted.
"Well, I didn't go." Tori said. "And it was because of Jade, but not for their benefit. She was hurting." A pause. "God knows, I was hurting. We needed some space." She thought about that night. "I don't know what I would have done if Jade hadn't been there, Dre. I just don't." Tori could hear a faint tremor in her own voice. "That first night… Jesus. I was so sick. I got a migraine, and I passed out in the bathroom… "
"Wow." Andre gave her a concerned look. "What happened?"
Tori felt irrational tears rising. "Jade happened." She murmured. "She wasn't supposed to come up until the next day, but she just dropped everything and came that night. She took care of me."
Andre just put a hand on her arm, and squeezed.
"I think that was the worst I've ever felt." Tori whispered. "But Jade held me, and made that all go away. It was incredible." She let out a long, shaky breath. "She saved my sanity."
"Hey." Andre gently put both arms around her and gave her a hug. "You poor kid." he patted Tori's back, then rubbed it. "I'm glad tall, dark and daunting was there to make things right, Tor. I know I ddin't start off being a fan of hers, but I'm glad this time I was so damn, dead wrong."
"Mm." Tori returned the hug. "Tall, dark and doofy sometimes. That's how she hurt her arm again. The dork picked me up and carried me into bed in the hotel." She admitted. "I was too sick to realize what she was doing."
"Oh, really?" Andre laughed a bit.
"Yeah." Tori got up off her stool and went to the refrigerator, taking out a pitcher of juice and swirling it. "Want some?"
"Sure."
"Hey, Jade?" Tori called into the living room. 'Want some juice?"
"Does it have chocolate in it?" The droll answer came back.
"Ew. Orange juice and chocolate?" Tori made a face. "No, honey. I'll get you some milk."
"Mmmmmilk." Jade drawled in response as she appeared in the doorway, looking appealingly tousled in her t-shirt, cutoff shorts and white socks. Chino came trotting in behind her, yawning. "Chino wants some milk too."
Andre chuckled. "Like puppy, like owner."
Jade paused, and put a hand on her hip. "You saying I look like that dog?" She lifted one eyebrow in mock menace.
"No." Tori handed her a glass and leaned up to give her a kiss. "You just act like her. Adorably loyal and cute to a fault." She watched Jade's eyes go round in startlement, then glance over at Andre and back to her. "Oh, don't go all formal on me now, Jade. You were the one who was just mooing for milk."
Jade scowled, then her face relaxed into a sheepish grin as she chuckled and accepted the glass.
Andre put his own glass down, and stood up. "Well, I'll be getting myself back to the southern reaches of oakland. You two take it easy, eh? See you Wednesday?"
"Me, absolutely." Tori said. "Jade… well, let's see what the doctor says." She glanced up at her lover, who merely lifted a brow at her. "Right? You're not going to try teaching us flips until your shoulder gets better, are you?"
"No." Jade replied, speaking of the martial arts class they were supposed to resume that week. "I'll just make you all do the work, and I'll watch." She chuckled at their wry faces. "Besides, I can use the pool a little."
"Ah, sure" Andre shouldered his bag. "She floats while we sweat. Nice." She waved a goodbye. "Later, folks."
Tori walked her to the door and closed it behind him, then turned and regarded Jade. She walked across the living room to join her lover as they both reached the couch, and sat down with her, putting her feet up on the coffee table almost at the same time Jade did. Then she rested her head against Jade's shoulder and sighed.
"Nice to be here, huh?" Jade obligingly draped an arm over her shoulders and pulled her closer.
Tori wrapped her arms around Jade's body and snuggled up as close as she could without actually crawling into Jade's lap. She craved the warmth of her lover's body, and the feeling of utter security that her embrace would provide. Jade didn't disappoint her. She felt her body shifted a little, and she squirmed into a cradle made from long arms and legs that wrapped around her and brought her home in a way that touched her battered soul in just the right spot she needed it to.
"Tell you what." Jade murmured, as she stroked Tori's hair. "I vote for a night of shameless hedonism and indulgence. You up for that?"
"Uh huh." Tori murmured. "But I'd be happy just to have you near me all night."
Jade gave her a worried look. "Well, sure. Where else would I be?" She kissed the top of Tori's head. "Tor?"
The brown head lifted, revealing a tear streaked face as Tori wiped the back of her hand across her eyes and sniffled. "Sorry." She muttered. "I don't know what the hell's wrong with me."
Jade didn't know either. It left her at somewhat of a loss, presented with a problem she had no experience or knowledge to deal with. So she did what she could do, which was wipe the tears from Tori's face, and kiss her gently. "Go ahead and cry if it makes you feel better." She told her. "Talk to me about it if you want to." She added. "But if all you need from me is love, you've got all of that I have and it's yours for the taking."
Tori blinked, scattering a few sparkles of moisture, and a tiny, charmed smile appeared on her face.
"What?" Jade smiled back. "Do I have chocolate on my chin again?"
"Milk." Tori rubbed the residue off her upper lip, gazing at her with a look of utter love. "A night of shameless hedonism, huh?"
"Yeah." Jade found the honey brown eyes in front of her irresistibly fascinating. "I figured we could start off by ordering something really bad for us from the Italian place, then sort of go from there."
"Will this night of hedonism include hot fudge?"
"Yes."
"Hot tub?"
"Yes."
"Hot..mmfp." Tori took the kiss as an answer to that question and surrendered willingly to the plan.