I promose this story isn't open ended. It actually is a prety procedural type like half of you already guessed what they were looking for. The reason is soon to appear. Bud and Charlie, get in trouble right along with them.

Eleven

Jade prowled through the aisles of the small grocery, one of the few customers so early in the morning. She had a small basket hanging off her arm that already had a quart of milk in it, along with a box of Oreo cookies. She spied a bottle of chocolate syrup and snagged it, studying the label.

Ah well. It would have to do.

She made her way to the soda aisle and selected two bottles, then analyzed her basket's contents and retraced her steps to the refrigerated case, swapping her quart of milk for a half gallon. Satisfied, she walked up to the single register and set her selections down.

The cashier picked up each item and punched its price into the old fashioned cash register. "Yo got you some Chirrun, huh?" She smiled at Jade.

Jade peered at her over the top of her sunglasses. "No." She handed the woman a twenty dollar bill, and accepted her change back. "It's my breakfast."

The woman looked at the bag, then at Jade. "Much betta ting to eat in the Caribbean, but you eat what you like."

"Keeps me young." the friendly cashier laughed, as she Jade smirked, pushed her sunglasses back up and took her bags, heading for the door as a young couple entered, stopping short when they recognized her and reacted.

"Hi." Todd said. "Sorry about last night."

In an instant, every ear in the place seemed to turn their way. Jade suppressed a wry grin. "Don't worry about it."

Rachel put a hand on Todd's arm. "We've heard a lot about you."

Erf. "I can imagine." Jade replied. "Take it with a grain of salt."

"Well, we just came in to get some breakfast." Todd glanced around. "Maybe if you're not busy later, we can sit down and talk?"

"Sure." Jade eased around them and slipped out the door.

Rachel gazed after her. "She's weird, Todd."

Todd steered her towards the grocery aisles. "No she's not. You're just freaked out because she's gay."

"I am not." Rachel protested, noticing the looks they were getting from the cashier. "Don't make like I'm some homophobe ."

"Oreos on the left there." The cashier pointed helpfully. "Got lots of em."

Todd and Rachel exchanged puzzled glances, and then shrugged.

Jade wrapped the handles of the plastic bags around her hands and started on her trek back to the room. She'd left Tori asleep, after they'd both stirred before dawn, and she'd heard the pathetic moan as Tori regretted opening her eyes.

It was clouding over, Jade noticed, and far off she could hear a faint rumble of thunder. That was good, because a stormy morning gave her a chance to pamper her ailing sweetie and not have Tori feel too awful about missing out on any fun.

In fact... Jade glanced up as a faint, first spattering of rain hit her shoulders. She gauged the distance back to the section of the resort they were staying in, and broke into a jog. As she ran, she took a tighter hold on the bags to keep them from swinging, and crossed the expansive grounds at a very fair clip.

She hurdled a hedge, taking it in stride, and then turned towards the building. Halfway there she moved to one side of the path, seeing someone coming in the opposite direction. The tall man, however, saw her shift and moved directly into her way, holding a hand up.

Jade contemplated simply running him down. He was tall, but relatively thin, and she calculated she probably outweighed him. She studied his face as she approached, seeing a chiseled, hawk like visage, clean shaven, with a cap of graying dark hair.

The suit he was wearing, she realized, was silk, and his very attitude projected the fact that he expected her to do whatever it was he wanted.

Jade grinned recklessly, and didn't slow down. She focused her gaze on the man and kept up her pace, her hands slowly curling into fists almost without her direction.

Daddy had taught her to play chicken right around the time she'd gotten her first bicycle. She got closer, but his expression didn't change, and he didn't so much as flinch, so Jade steeled herself for the impact, ready to twist her body to the right and lower her shoulder.

He waited until she knew he could feel the vibration of her footsteps, and then just as it almost became too late, he jumped aside.

Hah. Jade snorted silently, brushing past him without a word. She almost missed the quick lunge as he reached for her, but he'd misjudged his grab, and her speed, and she was already past him by the time he tried to grab her.

She waited until she knew he knew he'd screwed up, and then she slowed and stopped, turning to regard him icily.

He seemed surprised. "You don't take direction well, do you, Ms. West?"

Jade just laughed. "Not in this lifetime." She replied. "You want something, or do you just grab women for fun?"

He collected himself and put his hands behind his back. "My name is Jonathan DeSalliers." He announced. "And I believe we need to talk."

Jade peered at him, and then glanced up. Rain spattered her sunglasses. "Maybe, but not now." She turned. "I've got important stuff to do."

"Ms. West."

Jade looked over her shoulder. "If you want to deal with me, you do it on my terms." She told him flatly. "Have a great day." With that, she started off towards the building again, picking up speed as the rain started to come down harder. As she reached the door, the skies opened, and she ducked inside just in time.

Turning, she looked back, and saw a satisfying vision of DeSalliers bolting through the rain, running awkwardly in his silk trousers. "Jackass." She let the door close with a snick and hastened on her way back to the room.

It wasn't really the way she'd wanted to approach, or deal with DeSalliers, but sometimes, Jade had learned, you just had to take what life offered, and make the best of it. She slid her key in to the door lock and turned it carefully, pushing the door in and slipping inside.

It was dark. Jade had prudently closed the shutters before she'd left, leaving the room in soothing dimness. She set the bags down on the credenza and took her sandals off, then she walked silently over to the bed and knelt down.

Tori's eyes were still closed, and she was sleeping on her side, one arm wrapped around her pillow. Her mussed hair half obscured her face, and Jade only just kept herself from smoothing it back. Instead, she stood up and tiptoed back to the credenza, removing the items from it and trying very hard to keep the Oreo bag from making noise.

A soft groan came from the bed. "Uugh."

"Hey, cute stuff." Jade set a glass down, and opened the milk.

"Ugh." Tori lifted her head a little, and peered around. "S'dark in here." She muttered. "What time is it?"

"Eight." Jade continued mixing her potion. "I closed the blinds."

"You're a goddess." Tori rolled onto her back, throwing her arm over her eyes. "Jesus, I feel like a horse kicked me in the head."

Jade finished mixing and picked up the glass, crossing back over to the bed and sitting down on the edge of it. "I've got something to make you feel better."

Tori peeked at her, seeing the glass. "Noooooo…" She pulled the covers over her head. "No.. no… not… stuff."

"Come mon." Jade gently untangled the covers. "Tori, honest – it'll work."

"Jade, if I try to put anything in my stomach, it, and everything prior to it's coming up into your lap. Wanna risk it?"

"Yes." Jade coaxed. "Just take a sip."

Tori rolled onto her side, giving Jade a piteous, miserable look. "I can't."

Undeterred, Jade put the glass down and eased her into more of an upright position. Then she picked the glass back up and offered Tori the straw she'd stuck in it.

"What is it?" Tori stared dubiously at the mixture. All she could see was foam, and dark streaks. "It doesn't have Worcestershire sauce in it, does it?"

"No."

"Jade, I really don't think I can." Tori put a hand over her stomach.

Jade studied her, seeing the pale tinge to her skin. "Give it one try." She requested. "Just one sip. You need to get fluids into you, love."

Tori sighed resignedly, and maneuvered the straw over. "How can I resist when you ask me like that?" She held her breath and took the tiniest sip possible, hoping to swallow it before her system had time to analyze what it was.

It was cold and effervescent, and it slid down a lot easier than she'd imagined it would. Cautiously she inhaled, and then licked her lips. The taste was sweet, and rich, and bubbly at the same time, not at all what she'd expected. "What is that?"

Jade was cautiously pleased with the response. "Something my daddy taught me to make."

Tori took another sip, swallowing it. "Have I mentioned lately how much I love your daddy?" She felt her stomach settle, and she took the glass, leaning against Jade as she sucked at its contents. "You know what? I don't care what it is. It's great."

Jade grinned in satisfaction. "Glad you like it." She set to work gently massaging Tori's neck and shoulders. "Looks like it's fixing to storm for a while out there."

"Mm?" Tori kept drinking, peering around Jade's body at the closed shutters. A rumble of thunder rattled them, and she settled back against Jade with a contented grunt. The concoction really was helping, and she felt the aching nausea ease along with the painful cramps that had almost sent her diving for the bathroom. And why wouldn't it? She reasoned. The glass had been filled with love along with its other ingredients.

Her head still hurt, though. A dull pounding that seemed to thrum through her body and made her resolve never to experiment with rum again. "Stick to beer, Tori." She murmured. "Worst thing that does is make you piddle."

Jade massaged Tori's neck, working out small knots she could feel under her sensitive fingertips. "Guess who I met on the way back?"

"Not those scumbucket sneaks?"

"No. Their boss." Jade informed her. "He wanted me to stop and talk to him."

"And?" Tori inquired.

"I had other things to do." Jade told her. "But I think he'll be back."

"Hm." Tori finished her drink, sucking the last drops from the bottom of it. She gazed mournfully into the empty glass for a moment, and then looked up at her solicitous partner. "Any chance of another one of these?"

"You bet." Jade grinned, very pleased with her successful plan. "Coming right up." She took the glass. "Think you can take some aspirin now for your head?"

Tori thought about it. "Yeah." She curled up on her side and watched Jade work. "What's in the bottle?"

"Chocolate syrup."

Tori had to smile. "That's a chocolate milk soda you just made."

Jade brought it back to her. "It's an egg cream." She explained.

Tori took the glass. "But there aren't any eggs in it."

"Or cream." Jade agreed, handing her a couple of pills. "It's kind of like Welsh rabbit."

"Ah." Tori swallowed the aspirin, and then settled back against the headboard. Rain rattled against the window, and she was more than glad to be nestled in the dim room, with Jade to keep her company. "So you think he'll be back, huh?"

"Yep." Jade chuckled softly. "Then maybe we'll get closer to the bottom of this."

Tori listened to the thunder, her fingers idly stroking the arm Jade had curled around her. Maybe they would, she agreed silently. But not right this minute.

Lightning flashed, outlining the closed shutters.