Chapter Text
"This is Dr Vega, do you copy? Victoria Vega, I repeat, this is Victoria Vega do you copy. We have the cargo requested do-"
"It's useless Tori there's no one out there."
"I repeat, this is Dr Victoria Vega seeking any sign of life. Please, if anyone is out there please..."
Her pained tone faded as she gripped onto the small device tightly, hoping, praying with every fibre of her being that someone, anyone would answer. All she got back was useless crackling feedback. Her heart was heavy in her chest as she felt a tear trickle down her face. She had tried to temper her emotions, hoping that being christened a new doctor would help her feel less. But it seemed to only make her feel more as she realised just exactly what predicament she was in. Young talented Tori Vega, fresh out of college, aspiring to be the greatest astronaut of her generation was now stuck in outer space. Sent on a mission that could possibly redefine humanity's future.
Not only was she lost far in the depths of outer space, centuries away from Earth, but she had also failed them. Failed all of mankind, failed her friends, failed her family.
Tori sobbed quietly as she gripped the radio. If only they hadn't flown so close to that wormhole. If only they hadn't been sucked into it, pulled away from their dimension into a completely foreign one. The impact of the trip has knocked everyone aboard unconscious and sent the ship itself hurtling into the galaxy at high speeds. When Tori had come back to, they were lost in the new galaxy, their navigation unable to lead them back to safety.
Tori had stared into the depths of outer space, the stars twinkling innocently, so similar to their galaxy, yet so different.
"Why can't it reach them? Why?!" Tori cried turning to look at the only other person aboard the ship with her.
"Because we're in fuck knows where Tori. And fuck knows how time, transmission and what else works here. Because we surely don't," Jade West snarked back, clearly tired of their predicament as well. Her voice was cold, tinged with a desperation Tori was all too familiar with. Her bluish green eyes were filled with rage and her usually well kept black hair with electric blue highlights was frazzled and untamed.
"What are we going to do?" Tori asked, eyes still leaking tears. The possibility of getting lost in space had never dawned on her. The possibility of dying in space? Sure. But this? It sounded like such a lonely way to die. Unable to communicate with everyone and doomed to live until supplies ran out. It was like planning your own suicide.
Jade scoffed at her question, "I don't know," she said before turning away and leaving the control room. She somehow managed to make the automatic door slam harder, an echo resonating in the control chamber.
Where Tori now sat alone. She wondered whether Jade's presence made the situation worse or better. Somehow she felt like it was definitely the latter of the two.
She sat still for a bit. Simply crying. Her tears didn't drop all the way down and instead floated up due to the lack of gravity. Crying in space didn't feel as good as crying on earth.
Machines beeped and trilled around her, small lights pinging and switching off. She focused on a green one that kept switching on and off at certain intervals. She counted the time between each.
On
One, two.
Off
One, two, three.
On
One two.
After a solid 2 minutes of doing just that she finally stopped and turned back to the computer in front of her.
She typed out a few things before calling out to the AI that resided in their ship
"Darla?"
A small trill sounded before a robotic voice answered, "Yes Dr Vega?"
"Could you tell me our exact location?" She asked as she typed away. She had woken up minutes ago after falling unconscious on their arrival, the first thing she had done was radio out for help, anything else like ask the Ai hadn't even crossed her mind.
"Yes of course our coordinates are, " Darla listed off a series of numbers, followed by the naming of a galaxy.
"Andromeda huh," Tori repeated typing in a few more things, "why can't I get a signal back home?"
"It appears we too far for them to reach within usually time, they may reach earth, however it could take Jo to years. Not to mention the impossibility of returning without locating the wormhole we entered through. It could also take millions of years."
Tori couldn't help crying again at the news, "Can you run all programs you have to try and locate the wormhole? Also how long will our supplies last us?"
The ship let out a beep before Darla's robotic voice filled the room again, "Running all programs. For supplies, there is enough food and drink to last you several years under the correct rations. The fuel situation is also positive, depending on the journey."
Tori nodded, Darla would update her if they found the wormhole again, so she didn't need to worry about asking, there was something else Darla could do though.
"How far are the nearest planets?" Tori asked, she had looked out into space when they had arrived and there had appeared to be planets nearby, however, Tori couldn't gauge how far they were with her naked eye. That was the thing about space. It was funky.
"They're all within reasonable distance away, the furthest one we could reach with our fuel is this one," an image popped up on the screen of a small blue ball, "However, they do not all appear to be suitable for human life. Would you like me to send some probes?"
Tori nodded, eventhough she knew the Ai couldn't see her, "Sure, send a few to the closest planets as soon as you can and if you are able send another to explore the area."
The ship made a series of beeps as it logged the information away.
"The probes will be deployed in the next hour. Anything else Dr?"
Tori froze. She had felt almost normal when she had been giving orders. That was her job after all, driving the shop and delegating. But now...now she felt the true danger she was in. The severity of the situation.
"That is all Darla, let me know if anything changes or comes up. I'll be retiring to my chambers now," Tori sighed moving away from the control panel. The tears wouldn't stop coming as the shock began to wear of. She needed to go to her room for a bit and gather her thoughts.
She passed by Jade's room, her steps slightly faltering as her hand twitched to touch it. She wanted to check up on Jade. After all they were in this ship together. Jade was the only other human for millions of miles. It didn't matter that they didn't get along. Or that Jade couldn't stand her. They were all that was left for the foreseeable future.
But she knew she shouldn't. Jade probably needed some time alone right now. As did she. Her hand slipped to the locket she kept in her uniform pocket. The metal texture making her heart break again.
Tori had left a lot on earth. The day she had boarded the ship that would take her far into space, had been one of the most difficult days in her life, now second to today. She had bid farewell to her friends and family. Even Trina had cried that day.
They had all gathered at the her house, crying into eachother's arm. But the most difficult parting had to be with her daughter. Tori's daughter was 7 years old which meant she understood everything too well. When she had heard Tori was leaving months prior to her departure she had been inconsolable. When the actual farewell came, Tori worried she'd cry herself to death.
She nearly stayed. Her daughter's pleas nearly made her call her boss and tell him she couldn't do it. But she hadn't.
This trip was monumental, not only for her career, but also the human species. She was still young, 26, which meant she still had so much to live for. If she could aid mankind now, she could create a better world for her daughter.
How foolish she has been.
Tori sank into her room and closed the door behind her, a cry ripping free from her mouth. She pulled the locket from its place and popped it open to reveal the picture within. Her and her daughter - Serena. Tori thumbed at the picture, they had taken it two years ago on Serena's 5th birthday. The party had included all of her daughter's friends as well as Tori's own. Most of which had become almost like family to the little girl. Uncle Andre, Auntie Cat. Even the sad little puppet Rex was a welcomed friend (after Tori had managed to get a family friendly filter over his mouth).
Tori had worried the lack of father would bother Serena, but it hadn't. In fact Sereena had grown up surrounded by people, Tori was so proud of her created family. The thought that her daughter was atleast surrounded by people that would cherish and love her was a soothing balm for her mind. But it could only provide her with temporary relief because the thought of not being able to see Serena grow was overwhelming. Not to be able to provide her child with comfort and love. Tori sobbed violently, her tears floating around her. Her mind was so overwhelmed with grief and realisation that it seemed to stop functioning. Unable to fathom what was going on around her, all she could do was scream and cry. Her mind and body warring.
Eventually she fell asleep, the stresses of the day far too much for her to handle. It came abruptly, one second she was crying and the next, her world was blanketed in darkness.
-
"You're so pretty tonight Tori," a rough hand caressed her cheek as she laid on their shared bed. Fingers rubbed softly, moving stray hairs away from her face.
She couldn't help the blush that dusted her cheeks at his words. They made her feel special, most things that came out of his mouth did.
"You're beautiful."
"Your eyes are gorgeous."
"Your smile is nice."
They all warmed her heart and made her feel giddy. What had she done to deserve such an amazing boyfriend? After finishing high school and starting her first year at college, Tori really had thought her love life was hopeless. Most her exes had been unfaithful, untrustworthy assholes. The few that hadn't just didn't end up working out either. There was something she was always missing, the relationship wasn't bad per say, she just didn't feel right.
She was so ready to give up on romance altogether. That was until she had met the man she was currently in bed with. When she had seen him for the first time, she had been dazzled, despite being 19, her behaviour around him was like a school girl behaved when around a crush.
The best part of it all was that when Tori had looked up at him with her big brown eyes and fumbling words he had grinned back, all teeth. It hadn't taken them long to move past just being friends. It had started with longer than usual glances. Then lingering touches.
Then one night after a particularly funny comment they ended up in close proximity. After their laughing had died down, he had leaned forward and captured her lips. Tori reciprocated, in disbelief that he wanted her. That he liked her.
Fast forward two weeks later and here they were, laying in bed together over at his house. They had spent a chunk of the day just hanging out. Between making out and movies, Tori was happy. She had tried to forget what her friends had said about him.
Andre's "He's too old for you Tori. No good guy would date a girl 5 years younger than him when she's in her teens."
Beck's "Be careful Tori. He's got a weird look to him. I don't like him. He looks at you as if you're a piece of meat."
And even, to Tori's surprise Jade's "He's a creep."
For Jade to be commenting on any of her boyfriends was a suprise within itself. But for her to seem to care for Tori's safety was even a bigger one.
Right now though, they didn't matter. All that mattered were the words rumbling out of his mouth and his hands touching her like she was made of clouds. Like she was to be worshipped.
"You're like a goddess."
Their words were entirely forgotten by the time he nipped at her throat and pawed at her pants.
"Your skin is so soft."
Infact her mind was only full with his words. His compliments, his affirmations, his love. Her mind was cluttered with his touches, his smell, his feel.
"You taste amazing."
By the time Tori managed to remember her friends words, the sun had rose once again in the sky. Birds chirped outside and the sounds of early morning invaded her senses.
She felt cold.
There were no arms around her waist, no good morning kiss and certainly no love. She felt exposed, dirty and uncared for. When she searched for the affection that had been so plentiful, he simply turned away as if she hadn't spoken at all.
Tori ran. She shamefully gathered her belongings and fled, unsure where to go since it was so early. She didn't want to go home, what had happened written all over her. No instead she went to Andre's.
Weeks later she found out she was pregnant. They were still going strong, well in appearance atleast. Tori had never brought up how she had felt that first night. Or on all the other nights after that. She never brought up how uninterested he seemed when there was no sex involved. Because the intensity of his love when there was seemed enough for her.
When she told him about the child growing within her, he asked her how? Tori laughed, because truly everyone knew at their age that unprotected sex led to a pregnancy. She had been taking the pill, but perhaps she had missed it once or twice accidentally. She wasn't sure, it was hard to keep count. No one had explained to her exactly how they worked, she had tried to follow the instructions as well as she could.
He blamed her. Because of course he did. Then he told her to abort it.
But Tori didn't want to abort it. She had never desired to be a mother exactly, but in that moment she felt that she did. And she felt that she could.
Her refusal didn't stop him from taking from her.
Take take take. That's all he did.
Tori awoke suddenly as if she had fallen from sleep. She had forgotten to strap herself to her bed beforehand and thus found herself floating around her room. She quickly righted herself and wiped the corner of her mouth which had been wet with drool. The bedroom she was in was specialised for her. After all the mission was to be a long one, which meant she'd spend a good chunk of it in her bedroom.
It was dark. With no artificial light, her bedroom was simply lit by space itself. Stars, so many lit up the empty blackness around them.
Tori blinked, her eyes puffy and uncomfortably dry.
She felt empty. Tori knew soon she'd be crying once again, overwhelmed with emotions. But now she was thankful for the uncomfortable numbness she was feeling. Her thoughts passed by her, none quite sticking. The only one that did was a sinking feeling. A dread that settles deep in her bones. She had awoken from her memory so suddenly it didn't feel right. Something was wrong. Something.
What was it? She didn't know.
Whatever it was, it would have to wait as she approached her dresser. Her clothes felt dirty and uncomfortable, she had been wearing them for far too long.
She pulled her shirt over her head, leaving her in a thin camisole. She also removed her pants and replaced them with shorts. The ship was rather warm right now, it had a regular temperature, but depending on the time it would either be warmer or colder. Something about simulating life on earth. She was a scientist, but that didn't mean she cared for it. If it was her choice the shop would be at a steady 22°C all the time.
Tori floated around as she pulled her shorts on. She had just managed to get them over her bum when she heard a bang. Strange, the ship was always producing some sort of noise, whether it be the machinery or the sound of space around them. It was rare to hear anything apart from that though, especially through the thick walls. Tori found it a bit unsettling. Had aliens taken over?
It was definitely not her brightest idea, but she couldn't help but wonder, they were in an unknown galaxy after all. Aliens were definitely a possibility.
Tori finished putting on the shorts and went to investigate, she decided not to arm herself. Despite the possibility of aliens, it was highly unlikely that they had caused the sound. One, she had heard it within the ship, and two, if aliens had boarded, Darla would've alerted her. If * anything * at all touched the ship, Darla would've told her. Tori settled for something tumbling over, or perhaps breaking. Either way she had to investigate. As she left her room, she checked her watch. She had slept for just under 4 hours.
No wonder she felt awful.
Tori was floating her way down the hall when she heard the sound of yet another bang. This time she was just outside Jade's door.
"Jade?" She called, it was unlikely that the woman would hear her since the doors were as thick as the walls.
Tori approached the door, dread slowly sleeping into her bones. She hadn't seen Jade in a while. In around 4 hours.
They were stuck in space...
"Jade can I come in?"
Away from everything they had ever loved. Away from everyone that had ever loved them.
"Jade I'm coming in," Tori said moving towards the door.
Locked.
In solitude. Hugged by an endless galaxy. Lonely.
"Darla! Override lock now!" Tori called.
They were practically dead to the world. Soon, if not already, people on earth would've realised the loss of communication.
"Sorry Dr. Vega but it is against-"
"Darla! There is no time. I need to check on Jade, she could be in danger! Override the lock this instant!" Tori pleaded.
If they died here, no one would know but them.
The little screen beside the door lit up green as Darla disabled the locks. Darla was programmed in a way that made her seem almost like she had emotions. How funny ai could be. Her relief was short-lived though as she entered Jade's room.
No area in the ship that had a window could truly be dark. Simply because space lit it up. Thus, Jade's room was dimly lit and a mess. Clothes floated everywhere along with other belongings. Tori didn't much notice it though, all she could see where the globules of red floating around her.
Her stomach dropped at the sight.
"Oh fuck, Jade oh fuck!" Tori cried floating her way as fast as she could past the blood and clothes. She saw the glint of something from the corner of her eye. She didn't waste a second in looking at it. She could guess what it was.
"Jade!" She screamed when she found her companion. The woman was floating close to her bed, eyes rolled back in a state of half consciousness as blood pooled around her.
"Darla! Darla!" Tori shouted as she propelled her way to Jade. She grabbed on to her as soon as she was within arms length and wrapped a spare piece of clothing around her arm, she tried desperately to stem the flow of blood oozing from her body.
"Yes Dr. Vega?"
Darla's monotone voice was not helping.
"Jade is bleeding out!" Tori called desperately. She had been trained on this to an extent. Obviously not this exactly as it had never really occurred in the history of space travel. But bleeding had.
"Worry not Dr Vega, all rooms are equipped with first aid kits. However is she is in need of a medical transfusion, it is best to be done in the medical bay. I suggest cleaning and sealing the wound first," Darla adviced.
Keeping as much pressure as she could, Tori floated over to where the medical supplies where situated in every room. The panic had made her entirely forget their existence. But now she found them and ripped them open. She had to do this quickly, 0 gravity meant a person was more likely to bleed out. She was sure Jade wouldn't make it to the Medical bay in this condition. Unless she atleast sealed the wound.
"Disinfect it first and then stitch it close if it appears deep," Darla droned as Tori grabbed a cleaning ointment and applied it as best as she could. It was hard to tell with the amount of blood spurting out. Jade had managed to cut an artery for sure. Whether she had completely cut it or simply grazed it was still to be decided. However, right now her priority was to stitch it closed.
"Jade, oh Jade," Tori called. She got small grunts back which were a good sign. Jade was still alive. Somewhat conscious. She stitched up the wound as best as she could. They had all received some degree of medical training. Enough to help them on their trip into space. So Tori used that knowledge to her advantage. She stitched the wound shut and wrapped a bandage around it applying as much pressure as she could without causing a problem.
Tori then began the tedious task of pulling Jade towards the medical bay. Luckily it wasn't situated too far from their rooms. The door to the room was already open, probably Darla's doing, which allowed for them to drift in seamlessly.
It took Tori a few minutes of fumbling before she got everything working for the blood transfusion. She tied Jade down, who by now was barely making a sound, and stuck the needle into her arm that would provide her with the transfusion.
"Excellent skill Dr Vega, ever considered becoming a doctor?" Darla deadpanned, no emotion in her voice. Tori hated the AI's humour setting. It was done by Dr. Sikowitz, Darla's creator, in an attempt to brighten their journey into space. Tori was convinced all he really wanted to do was annoy them.
"Not now Darla, Jade is on the brink of death, can you run some tests on her?" Tori asked frantically as she floated beside the other girl. Her brain couldn't process what had just occured, it was giving her an insanely large headache. So instead she tried to just think about what they needed.
"Can you also charge up the gravity generators and engage them? We need gravity if Jade is going to heal," Usually, gravity was something they went without. For one it required energy, granted that to keep it running solar power could be used, starting it required actual fuel.
Not to mention that there was no gravity in space and if they were going to be in space they needed to get used to the 0 gravity thing.
"Generators have been started up, we should be at Earth's level in 10 minutes," Darla responded. There was no way they could achieve earth level gravity what the AI was refering to was a gravity far lighter, but as close to earth as possible.
"Running tests on Jade West. Despite some blood loss, she appears to be in good physical health. However, following the events that occurred, her mental health seems to be declining, " Darla observed calmly.
Tori's eyebrows scrunched up in anger, because wasn't that already obvious?! They were stuck in space!
"What should we do?" Tori asked anyways. The robot may have lacked the ability to read a situation but that didn't mean she wasn't of any help.
"We should keep an eye on Jade at all times. I will assign C.A.T to her side. However, human presence is highly recommended," Darla explained referring to Tori. C.A.T or Cat, like Jade and Tori liked to call her was a robot named after their friend Cat. The real Cat was back on earth but Dr Sikowitz thought it funny to construct one with the same name and similar 'personality' to their friend. Again his excuse being that it would help with loneliness. Truly though, Tori thought it was to annoy them as Cat would be the last person she'd ever want to accompany her to space. She was already with Jade who she didn't like much.
"I'm not going anywhere until she wakes up anyways," Tori responded as she took her place close to Jade's side.
Tori didn't sleep.
She couldn't rest whilst Jade was fighting for her life. But she did manage to enter a mediative state in which she was far away yet more aware of her surroundings than if she had been asleep. Gravity had returned by the time Jade stirred and snapped her out of her daydreaming.
"Ugh, why does my head hurt. Haven't had a headache this bad since my last hangover. Fucking hell," Jade grumbled, a hand pressed tightly to her forehead.
Tori's body shook at the sound of the other's voice, she quickly turned, looking at her with wide eyes.
Jade raised an eyebrow at the reaction, confused.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" She asked.
"You tried to leave. Leave me alone in space!" Tori shouted angrily. She hadn't meant to. She knew she shouldn't have. You'd don't shout at someone after they'd tried to commit. You didn't get angry, you didn't shame them.
But in that moment Tori couldn't stop herself from shouting. Jade was going to leave her alone in some foreign galaxy. Jade was going to have her dispose of her body. Jade didn't care.
"Oh fuck," Jade groaned rubbing a hand through her hair. Tori had since removed the IV from her arm and changed the bandage as soon as the gravity had been activated.
As soon as Tori noticed that Jade was going to stand up, she rushed to tackled her from behind, pulling her back to sit between her legs as she sat on the bench.
"No you fucking don't, you're not going anywhere!"
Jade struggled against the other woman, however, her body was much weaker after the ordeal and so much movement was making her dizzy.
"You're not the only one stuck in space you selfish bitch! I am too, and you were just going to leave me alone. Do you know how scary that is? Being the only person for miles?" Tori cried into Jade's hair nearly making her deaf.
"My daughter is going to grow up without me. Everyone I've ever loved is on Earth. We're stuck here in the depths of space and all you could think of was leaving too!" Tori continued, she couldn't put the rage she felt into words. Rage...perhaps not rage.
"I was so scared, Jade. I was so scared."
Jade had by now gone limp in Tori's arms, the fight leaving her like steam.
"Fuck," Jade groaned, her hands covering her face, "FUCK! This wasn't supposed to happen. Everything's a mess!"
And Tori couldn't tell what she meant. Because everything was a mess. They were so far from home, alone and in the after math of it all. Not to mention Jade's recent attempt to end her life. Tori wanted to sleep. But she couldn't do that yet.
"Tori you don't understand."
The brunette behind Jade scoffed at her words.
"I don't understand?! I'm stuck here too you know? Need I remind you who has a daughter back on earth?" Tori grumbled. Jade knew her daughter. She was auntie Jade to her after all. It was funny how Jade liked Serena yet didn't like her mother much.
"How dare you say I dont-"
"No Tori!" Jade's pained cry silences Tori in an instant. Her heart thumping in her chest wildly at the pure anguish she was hearing. Jade had never sounded so broken.
"It's not just that. We're both stuck here, but I'm..." Jade sighed not turning to look back at Tori.
"Jade?"
"I'm- I can't even say it. Darla!"
A beep sounded as Darla made her presence known. She could always hear them, after all she was the ship, yet when they addressed her she always made a sound to show that she had heard.
"Yes Dr. West?"
"Tell Tori what you found when you checked my vitals. I know your sensitivity programming prevents you from revealing stuff like that. But I'm asking you now."
Tori's eyebrows scrunched up in confusion. She didn't know that Darla had sensitivity programming. The Ai always seemed so insensitive.
"The health check also revealed another heartbeat. Dr. West is pregnant."
Pregnant.
Jade was pregnant.
Tori couldn't believe her ears. Jade was with child. Jade was millions of miles away from earth and pregnant. She was pregnant in space. WHY WAS SHE PREGNANT IN SPACE.
"When did you find out?" Tori asked frantically, before she could stop herself.
"When we were passing Mars," Jade responded immediately clearly hearing the slight accusation in Tori's tone, "I didn't know. Nothing picked it up until I was throwing up every time I woke up from sleep. Then my period didn't come and after what Darla just said, it's confirmed anyways."
Tori digested the information, since they had passed mars? That was 3 months ago!
"Is it Beck's?" Tori asked again without thinking. She meant it as a way to pinpoint how far along Jade was, but instead it had come off as rude.
"I didn't mean, it's just you guys were having issues and-"
"It's his Tori. I haven't been with anyone else in years. We had sex 3 days before we left on our mission," Jade recounted causing Tori to blush. She had a daughter but talking about sex still made her blush. She hadn't been in a proper relationship since she was 22, and that had barely lasted 3 weeks. Tori had just decided relationships were not for her after that. She didn't go looking and no one came.
"So you're around 4 months along?"
"Fifteen weeks would be a more accurate estimate, Dr Vega," Darla interrupted them passively.
"No one has ever done this before Tori. No one has ever been pregnant in space, let alone so far from earth. I don't know what could happen to me," Jade gasped out, the very thought causing her anguish.
Tori didn't know either. Giving birth on earth had already been difficult enough. Imagine giving birth in space? She shivered at the thought.
"Well Dr West, it may have never been done but here are estimates as to what could happen, would you like to hear them-"
"No! That's enough Darla go away."
Darla made her sad trill noise that came with being dismissed as she 'left'.
Tori pressed her lips tightly together.
"Listen, I know the future is uncertain. And right now it seems very bleak," Tori said, she had to come up with a convincing argument as to why they both should live. She had to convince Jade and herself.
"But, there is a chance to make it back to Earth. We fell into this wormhole, we can come out of it, we just need to take some time to figure it out," Tori explained, "I've sent some probes out to the surrounding planets in the meanwhile to check their conditions. Who knows, maybe they'll be viable for life."
Finding a livable planet would be groundbreaking research. Not to mention an option if they really couldn't find their way home. A pregnant woman was already in danger in space, now add a newborn baby and who knows what would happen. Their fragile small bodies.
Tori's heart squeezed as the urge to touch her pendant dawned on her. She didn't though, instead she kept both hands firmly on Jade. They itched with the memory of her newborn daughter. But there was just Jade right now. She had to focus on that.
"Whatever. Just know you're as responsible for this baby as I am now," Jade announced, "I may have conceived it, but you're the one that's making me give birth to it."
The way Jade was speaking, it sounded like Tori had done a bad thing. Tori had saved Jade's life, she hadn't known about the baby. Even then though, suicide as an abortion was too far in her books anyways.
"Yeah, ok," Tori sighed, she wasn't about to argue with Jade. It was never a good idea to. Plus she had had enough of the medical bay anyways.
"Let's go back to my room, come on," Tori beckoned standing up. She let out a silent breath of relief when Jade didn't make any sudden movements on her departure. Instead the girl looked up to her confused.
"Your room? Just cuz you're on babysitting duty doesn't mean I'm going to sleep in your room. Dream on Vega," she singsonged, her sass not affected by the recent events.
"Very funny. I wouldn't be suggesting it, if it weren't for the fact that your room is dirty from you know, what just happened. You can't sleep there tonight," she then paused realising Jade would 100% sleep there without a care.
"I'm not sleeping there tonight, so you're coming with me," Tori insisted.
It took a bit of back and forth before Jade agreed to move. Then on the way there she kept whining about what Tori's room could possibly be like.
"If it smells of your flowery perfume, I'm leaving."
"I swear if you have a boy band poster on the wall..."
"Oh I'm sweet Sally Peaches and my room is full of cowboy hats and cupcakes!" Jade's grating Tori impression was really killing Tori, by the time they had arrived, she was ready to rip her ears out.
"Right!" Tori announced opening her door only to be shocked half to death by the appearance of CAT. The robot wasn't built to resemble a human, in fact they were rather blocky. It's 'face' was only two sets of blue square lights. Yet it caught Tori of guard. Not to mention Cat had an uncanny feel to her. Damn Sikowitz and his psycho robots.
"Oh great my second babysitter is here," Jade grumbled stepping into the room and past Cat who turned around to follow her.
"Evening Jade! I am your personal therapy robot now!" Compared to Darla's formality, Cat was a shock of cold water.
"It's Dr West to you."
"Oh Jade, friends don't use such formalities!" The robot let out a series of almost static sounds signalling it was laughing.
This was Tori's chance.
"Well, you two have a nice chat whilst I go and grab your bedding Jade, alright? Alright! Feel free to borrow my stuff and change into some comfort clothes!"
Tori then left hearing Jade's fading "Won't they be a little tight in the chest area?"
She chose to ignore it and instead walked to Jade's room to grab her bedding. It wasn't dreadfully messy. Most of the mess came from the strewn around clothing rather than the blood. But the splotches were nonthless noticeable.
"Darla, could you get this stuff cleaned up?" Tori asked as she piled the blankets and pillow into one hand. She definitely missed gravity, but there was no denying, somethings were easier without.
"Yes Dr Vega," Darla replied over the intercom in the room. At first it had been a bit weird, she was everywhere after all. But after a while it had become normal, and at times even comforting. Tori didn't want to get all weird about it, but knowing she was there when she needed her offered a peace of mind. Especially now.
"Thanks Darla."
"Of course Dr Vega," it was still lonely though. No matter how human Darla sounded, she certainly wasn't.
Tori walked back to her room, when she opened the door, Cat greeted her excitedly making her almost drop the stuff she was carrying in shock once again.
She instead placed it neatly on the floor in a makeshift bed and looked around for Jade. She wasn't near the dresser, the bathroom door was open?
She was on her bed. Jade West was snuggled into Tori's bed as if it were her own.
"Excuse me-"
"Floor. I've had a hard day." Jade simply said without an ounce of remorse.
Their beds were tiny and couldn't fit two people comfortably, unless a lot of touching was involved. And Tori certainly didn't want to touch Jade. She supposed Jade was also pregnant and was definitely worse off mentally than her currently.
Tori had stopped processing her emotions as soon as s
he saw Jade floating, bloodied. Right now she was in a state of disconnect.
So she didn't argue. Instead she made herself at home on the floor and thumbed at her pendant.
"Good night Jade."
Silence greeted her.