#sunshine tree terrace

[meekosthemeparkphotos]

Sunshine Tree Terrace Sign

[haveamagicalday]

My orange bird shrine 🍊

[disneyparktournament]

Third place

[idreamofthemeparks]

Orange Thee Bird

[kornhelium]

[petitepinard]

[witchywithwhiskey]

tempting fate on the terrace

pairing: father's business rival CEO!bucky barnes x female reader

summary: you're relaxing on bucky's penthouse terrace and eating ice cream when he tempts you into something more

warnings: 18+ content (minors dni!!!), smut, piv sex, creampie, come play, light teasing, light overstimulation, finger sucking, choking, light bdsm, semi-public sex, little bit of exhibitionism, dirty talk, light degradation, praise kink, pet names (darling), unspecified age gap, fluff

word count: 2,900ish

a/n: y'all have @biteofcherry to blame for this follow up, because i couldn't get her idea out of my head and i just had to write it 😅 i'm so so so so so happy with how this turned out. i kind of can't get enough of these naughty little lovebirds, i just love them so much!!! and i hope y'all enjoy this as much as i enjoyed writing it!! ♡

tempting fate in the park (part 1)

tempting fate on the terrace (part 2)

tempting fate in the CEO's office (part 3)

The spring sunshine was perfectly warm on your face, and you stretched your legs out, sinking further into the soft cushions of the outdoor sofa as you considered whether you should trade in your Brooklyn brownstone for a Manhattan penthouse. Specifically a penthouse with a terrace as pretty as the one belonging to Bucky Barnes. 

You licked your ice cream cone thoughtfully, gazing through the greenery that had been set up around the edge of the terrace to give it a sense of privacy. The whole of Manhattan seemed to sprawl beyond the edge of Bucky’s penthouse and you enjoyed the view almost as much as you loved the tree-lined Brooklyn street where you lived.

But your brownstone didn’t have a concierge to go buy ice cream and cones so you could have a delightful treat after being ruined by one of the most powerful CEOs in the city—who also happened to be your father’s business rival. That said, your apartment did have a bagel store around the block with the best bagels in New York City…

You were distracted from comparing the benefits of your home to Bucky’s by the door to the terrace sliding open with a soft sound. The man who had been nothing more than your father’s business rival—until he’d become much, much more—paused just outside the door, his hands slipping into the pockets of his lounge pants while he stared at you lazing about on his outdoor sofa.

You grinned, taking a long lick of your ice cream as you stared right back at him. He looked deliciously comfortable in his lounge pants and simple gray t-shirt, the soft cotton pulling tight across his broad shoulders. His brown hair was a little disheveled from how much you’d run your fingers through it, and his blue eyes sparkled in the golden late afternoon light. 

“Y’know, darling, I could get used to seeing you looking so comfortable in my home,” Bucky rumbled as he prowled over to the sofa, lifting your legs and sitting down so they sprawled across his lap. Since he was closer, you could better see the way his eyes darkened as he raked them along your body. “And I could definitely get used to seeing you wear my clothes.” He fingered the bottom hem of the button-up shirt you were wearing—the one you’d stolen off his floor and put on because it smelled like him. “In fact, maybe it should be a rule that you only wear my clothes when you’re here.”

You laughed, the sound bright and airy as you tipped your head back, and you were still smiling when you looked back at Bucky. “You already made it a rule that I can’t wear panties while I’m here,” you pointed out, kicking him lightly with your bare foot. “At this rate, I’ll have to walk around naked, and I love your terrace too much for that—your neighbors are going to see me and we’re actually going to get that public indecency charge.”

Bucky’s hands had begun to massage your calves, slowly working their way up your legs but he paused in thought, his gaze going distant as he stared out over the city. “Y’know, I don’t think you can get charged for public indecency if you’re naked on a private terrace,” he said, then turned mischievous eyes on you. “Why don’t we test it out,” he teased in a deliciously warm tone, his hands slipping up your thighs to push the hem of your shirt up, revealing your bare pussy to his gaze.

“Jamie—someone could see!” you cried, laughing and pushing him away half-heartedly with one hand while you tried to hold your ice cream cone stable in the other. But Bucky turned and wedged his body between your legs so you couldn’t close them, his gaze heating as he stared down at the apex of your thighs.

“Christ, your pussy looks pretty with my come spilling out of it,” Bucky muttered, almost to himself, his fingers trailing through your still sticky folds. Your hips stuttered up against his fingertips and you sucked in a gasp as he brushed gently against your sensitive clit. “So fucking pretty, darling.” 

“Jamie.” That time, when you said his name, it was more of a whimper, the sound so desperate it made heat flood your cheeks. You and Bucky had already fucked three times since you’d arrived at his penthouse, it was amazing that your body was still hungry for more. It felt like you’d be hungry for Bucky for the rest of your life.

Bucky looked up at you, grinning when he saw the needy look on your face. “You might want to finish your ice cream, darling, because I’m fucking another load into your pretty cunt the second you’re done,” he said, his voice low and gravelly and making you shiver as warmth pooled between your thighs. 

Grabbing the collar of Bucky’s shirt, you pulled yourself up to sit, your legs wrapped around his waist from the side and held your treat out to him. “Help me finish, Jamie,” you begged in a playful tone, giving him a sweet smile as if you didn’t hear the double entendre of your words. 

Bucky held your gaze as he leaned forward and took a big bite of your ice cream, chomping on some of the cone and making you laugh. But the warm spring sunshine was hot enough that the ice cream was soon dripping down your fingers and you quickly licked it up. Bucky watched you for a moment before he wrapped a hand around your throat and dragged you in for a messy kiss, the sweet taste of ice cream filling your senses just as much as the rich taste that was all Bucky.

Together, the two of you finished off your ice cream, laughing and kissing and tasting each other. When the cone was gone, you licked the sticky sweetness from Bucky’s fingers, your tongue teasing over his skin while you watched his blue eyes darken with desire. Once you were done, he tortured you in much the same way, his tongue sliding between your fingers in such an obscene way, you let out a soft moan as you imagined his warm mouth pressed between your thighs instead.

By the time every trace of ice cream had been licked from your skin, you were soaking wet and desperate for Bucky; you pulled him in for a kiss. He made quick work of unbuttoning the shirt you wore and pushing it down over your shoulders while your fingers dove beneath his t-shirt. You raked your nails lightly through the dark hair that decorated his chest, delighting in the softness of it against your fingertips. He groaned into your mouth, breaking away only to pull his shirt off. 

Then he was laying you down on the sofa and pushing his lounge pants off to pool at his feet before he climbed over you, covering your body with his broader form. His hips settled between your thighs, his hard length nestling perfectly between your slick lower lips. 

“Fuck, you feel good, darling,” Bucky rumbled on a moan, moving his hips back and forth, just enough to slide the hard ridge of his cock against your puffy clit. “Wanna be buried in this cunt every fucking moment of the day—you’re tuning me into some pussy-drunk idiot,” he growled, kissing and nipping at your jaw while his hand circled your throat, his fingers digging lightly into the sides.

You huffed a sound that was half laugh, half shuddering moan, your legs hooking around the backs of Bucky’s thighs and using the leverage to grind against his bare cock. “If it makes you feel any better, all I can think about is how badly I want to be your cockdrunk little slut,” you murmured in his ear, nuzzling your cheek against the scruff on his jaw and delighting in the delicious rasp against your skin. “I think about sitting under your desk in your office, your cock in my throat, keeping you warm while you work.”

“Oh fuck—fuck, darling,” Bucky groaned, rocking against you harder, his cock growing wet and slick with your juices the more he slid through your pussy lips. “When you’re not here and I’m stroking my cock, I think about fucking you at one of your father’s boring galas,” he rumbled, his words coming faster to match the speed of his hips. “I think about sinking my cock into you and pumping you full of come and making you go back out to the party with my load dripping down your thighs beneath your gown.”

You raked your fingers through Bucky’s soft hair, clinging to him while your hips kept rocking together. His hard cock was rubbing your clit and his words were spinning delicious fantasies and it was too much. You felt your release swelling within you, threatening to overwhelm you, but you didn’t want to come against his cock, you wanted to come on his cock.

“Jamie,” you cried on a gasp, babbling words that you hoped made sense so he’d know what you wanted, “I can’t—I’m gonna—please, inside me—come, please!” 

Thankfully, Bucky understood your nonsense and he chuckled against your cheek. “Remember to be quiet, darling,” he rumbled, the warmth in his tone telling you he was grinning. “Don’t want the neighbors to hear you and risk finding out about whether we can get a public indecency charge on my private terrace.”

Before you could even think to respond to his teasing, Bucky pulled back, the tip of his cock needing no guidance to find your dripping hole. He slid inside easily, stretching you out around his cock. Your cunt was so wet, and you were so close to coming, it felt like your body was sucking him in deeper, your inner walls clinging to him as he split you open with his cock.

Despite Bucky’s warning, you groaned loudly—not because you wanted to find out about the indecency charge, but because you simply couldn’t control yourself. No matter how many times Bucky fucked you, every time he pushed deep into your cunt, it felt so good your mind went fuzzy with pleasure. You never wanted it to end, you wanted him inside you all the time, always and forever.

When the head of his cock pushed against your cervix, he grunted in pleasure while you moaned your own delight. Bucky dug his fingers deeper into the sides of your throat, cutting off your sound of ecstasy while he lifted himself up enough to see you. His eyes roved hungrily over your face, eagerly drinking in the way your expression twisted in pleasure as he pulled back and thrust inside you again, his hips clapping against your thighs. 

“Dirty, filthy girl,” Bucky grunted, thrusting into you to punctuate each word. “Can never be quiet when I tell you.”

You tried to smirk up at him, but another hard driving thrust had your eyes rolling back and your mouth falling open on a silent moan. With what you thought was a valiant effort, you mannaged to huff, “That’s because I like it when you make me be quiet, Mr. Barnes.” 

Bucky’s eyes narrowed on you and his mouth twisted into a determined snarl. “You know I prefer when you call me Jamie,” he growled, fucking you harder and faster, pressing his face close to yours so you could feel his warm breath ghost over your cheek. “You call me Jamie when my cock is deep in your cunt and I’m about to pump you full of my fourth load today—d’you hear me, darling?”

It was so much fun riling Bucky up, and you were enjoying the result of your efforts, your body lighting up from within as he pounded into you. But you knew he wanted an answer to his question, so you parted your lips and babbled, “Yes, sir, you feel so good, Jamie—love it when you fuck me hard, Jamie, please!”

“There’s my good girl,” Bucky rumbled, his tone as warm as the sunshine falling across your bare skin. He brushed a kiss to your cheek and pushed your thighs wider, fucking you in deep, grinding thrusts that had his pelvis rubbing perfectly against your clit. “Now come on my cock, darling, wanna feel your cunt choking my dick like I’m choking your pretty throat.”

As if you could resist an order like that. 

At Bucky’s filthy words, you came undone. The swelling pleasure in your core burst, and your body went taut as wave after wave of overwhelming sensation washed over you. Your lips parted in a scream that Bucky made sure stayed silent, his big hand gripping your throat so tightly, it made your entire being focus in on everything your body was feeling, every little spark and fizzle of pleasure that came from his cock, his hand—him.

“Good girl, so good, feel so fucking good, darling, fuck—fuck,” Bucky groaned, his hips thrusting wildly between your thighs until he pressed deep and let out a low grunt. His cock twitched and throbbed inside you and you knew he was coming, your clenching pussy milking every drop of his load from his balls. 

“Jamie,” you murmured when he loosened his grip on your throat. “Jamie, Jamie, Jamie.” Your chanting words were a plea and a prayer, which Bucky seemed to understand because his arms dug beneath your body so he could cradle you tight to his chest until there wasn’t a breath of air between you. You rode out your releases like that, your bodies writhing together, clinging to one another, unwilling to let the other move even a millimeter away. 

Slowly, eventually, the two of you settled, your body melting beneath Bucky’s while his cock softened inside you. His come spilled from your slit, sliding down between your ass cheeks. But you couldn’t be bothered by the mess the two of you had made, not when it felt too good to simply lay with Bucky, both of you naked and basking in the golden spring sunshine.

“Sooo,” you began, drawing out the word as you trailed your fingers through Bucky’s soft hair. He rumbled a short hum of acknowledgement. “D’you think any of your neighbors heard us?”

That had Bucky chuckling. He pressed a kiss to your neck, his lips finding the same spot where his fingers had dug in, making you shiver. “What’re they gonna do, tell me I can’t fuck my girlfriend on my own private terrace?” he grumbled. 

You went still beneath him and Bucky could feel the change in you, immediately lifting himself up so he could see your face. At his questioning look, you whispered, “That’s the first time you’ve called me your girlfriend.” You hated how small your voice sounded, but you were suddenly very afraid it was a slip of the tongue that Bucky would take back the second you pointed it out.

But he didn’t. Instead, his eyes went soft and he ducked down to press a sweet and firm kiss to your lips. “You’re my girlfriend,” he said resolutely, but then paused and gave you a look you couldn’t decipher. “Unless you don’t want to be.”

Your eyes widened and your fingers dug possessively into the back of his neck. “No, no, I want to be, I want to be,” you assured him quickly, smiling when he looked relieved. You pulled him down for another kiss, though it was difficult because you were grinning so hard. “Does this mean you’re my boyfriend, Jamie?”

“Of course I am,” he growled, nipping playfully at your lip and making you giggle.

“OK good,” you said with a happy sigh, going back to raking your fingers through his hair. “Then as your girlfriend,” you began, a teasing lightheartedness in your tone. “I demand my boyfriend get me another ice cream cone—since he ate half of mine.” When Bucky cut his eyes to yours, you gave him your best innocent pout, even though you knew he saw right through you. 

“Anything for you, darling,” he rumbled, dropping a kiss to your lips before he extricated himself from your body and sat up. He pulled his lounge pants back on and then tugged his t-shirt on over your head, a pleased smile curving his lips at the sight of you wearing his clothes. 

When Bucky dragged you up from the sofa, you tugged the hem of his shirt down over your ass, not wanting to flash any neighbors who might be looking, even though the greenery around the edge of the terrace would likely block you from view. Still, if you ever happened to move into Bucky’s penthouse, you didn’t want to have a reputation for walking around naked.

Not that you could see yourself giving up your beloved Brooklyn brownstone. 

Probably.

Unless Bucky asked you to move into his penthouse…

Thankfully, you were distracted from what a future with Bucky would mean for your housing situation by the man himself pulling your favorite flavor of ice cream from his freezer. He turned to you with a happy grin, looking devastatingly handsome and at home in his penthouse kitchen.

Right then, you decided you weren’t going to be tempting fate on the terrace again. It had been fun to fuck your boyfriend where any of his neighbors could have overheard or caught a glimpse of you, but you didn’t want to risk it again.

Just in case you did end up moving into Bucky Barnes’ penthouse.

tempting fate in the park (part 1)

tempting fate on the terrace (part 2)

tempting fate in the CEO's office (part 3)

[philistiniphagottini]

Hiiiii, its me again lmao can I ask for a Jing Yuan oneshot with fem reader what if somebody close to him casually and unexpectedly confessed to him, like, she thinks it's normal for him to have somebody confess to him so reader just did so casually in the middle of their interaction, a little flustered, but doesn't make it too obvious.

Thank youuuu~♡ sorry about earlier btw, i got too excited when I saw you want to take requests and forgot that rules exist 😭 but you're so nice for correcting me, so thanks again.. and i hope you enjoy as well 😊 🥰

Hi! Thank you for the request. Lol, it's okay, you're a good egg. I understand that you were excited and I appreciate the enthusiasm. It all worked out in the end so there's nothing to worry about. I really hope you like this, I had a lot of fun writing this and I don't think I'll ever get bored of writing for Jing Yuan.

cw. fluff, love confessions, female reader, 2.3k words

“You’re late.”

Those were the first words out of your mouth when General Jing Yuan finally showed up to your appointed lunch meet up. You tried to not let your disdain show as your nails tapped against the wooden table, tapping to an unknown beat as Jing Yuan took a seat across from you. There was an obvious pinch in your furrowed brow as your eyes briefly drifted over Jing Yuan only to be greeted by his lackadaisical smile. You should be used to his tardiness by now, he tended to run on his own internal clock. Yet somehow, you were still irritated as you pressed the seam of your lips into a tight, thin line.

The warm rays of sunshine danced off Jing Yuan’s face, the light almost as blinding as his smile as he settled in his seat on the private terrace. The gentle breeze played with the tips of his white mane of hair, rustling the bright red ribbon tied into a neat bow as you idly watched the movement from the corner of your eye. Your attention snapped back to Jing Yuan as he cleared his throat, his smile turning warm as he greeted you with soft eyes. 

“My apologies for being late” he said. “I hope you haven’t been waiting long.”

You took a deep and calming breath, trying to let your seething resentment breeze past your lips and be lost in the dancing winds that rustled through the trees. You lightly shook your head as you straightened up in your seat.

“Not long, I suppose” you replied with a soft huff. 

Jing Yuan tilted his head to the side, his eyes shimmering with endearment at the small little pout that formed on your lips. He waited for you to continue speaking, sensing the question that itched at the back of your scalp and lay heavy on your tongue. Your eyes focused on the little beauty spot just under his warm, honey coloured eyes, unable to look directly into his piercing gaze lest you be lost forever in their depths. 

“So, why are you late?”

Jing Yuan waved his hand through the air, brushing off your question as a warm chuckle pushed past his lips. He shook his head.

“Do not worry about it” he replied.

Your gaze narrowed and your ears itched something fierce as you were waved off. Was he trying to tease you, knowing that you would be deathly curious now to wring an answer out of him? Sometimes, you think that Jing Yuan did subtly like to tease you, holding an air of mystery about him, keeping his cards close to his chest and a smile that told you that he knew something that you didn’t. And you really wanted to squeeze an answer out of him now. With a small and undignified huff, you crossed your arms over your chest and it took every ounce of Jing Yuan’s willpower not to coo at the adorable pout that tugged on your plump lips.

“It must have been something important, if it required the General’s rapt attention” you surmised.

Jing Yuan’s smile didn’t falter as you subtly tried to prod at him for more information, your body leaning forward slightly in your chair as your ears perked up for the next few words to slip past his lips. A warm hum stirred in the back of Jing Yuan’s throat as he lay his hands in front of him on the table, tracing the tips of his fingers over the dips in the wooden frame. 

“You could say that” he replied with a firm nod and a nonchalant roll of his shoulders. 

You waited for a brief moment, still leaning forward in your chair as you waited with baited breath.

“So?” you prompted. 

The corners of Jing Yuan’s lips twitched a little higher, seeing as he now had your complete and undivided attention. He was pleased that you weren’t so cranky anymore now that your attention was diverted elsewhere. 

“I had someone profess their love to me on the way over to meet you, that was all�� Jing Yuan divulged.

Your eyebrows shot up to your hairline as you gave the General an incredulous look. Why was he talking so casually about it like he was observing the weather? Your arms fell from your chest and you almost jumped out of your seat to launch yourself across the table at him. 

“Another?” you squawked. “That’s the third one this week!”

Jing Yuan laughed at the perturbed look on your face as you tried to wrap your head around it. You knew he was General and quite popular on the Luofu but sometimes, it was just a little ridiculous how much people fought for his attention. You had been friends with Jing Yuan for such a long time and no matter how many times this happened to him, you would still be astounded how casual Jing Yuan acted about the entire situation, like some poor soul didn’t just pour their heart out to him only to have him turn them down. Speaking of…You swallowed thickly, tongue darting over your lips as you considered your next words carefully, settling back in your seat as you cleared your throat with a polite cough.

“So, what did you say?” you inquired. 

Jing Yuan quirked a bemused snowy brow in your direction as his smile turned coy. “Oh, interested to know?”

You playfully rolled your eyes as you bit the inside of your cheek. “You know I am. Come on, spill the tea.”

Jing Yuan continued to smile as he leaned forward in his chair, shoulders raised in a small shrug.

“What is there to spill? I turned them down, of course.”

Your eyes brightened at his words and you could feel your heart sing with joy. You let go of the breath you didn’t even realise you were holding and sighed in relief. You weren’t sure where in your relationship that your friendship started to turn and mean something more to you. Every time you heard someone confess to him, there was always a sense of panic that would knot in the pit of your stomach as your heart lodged itself in your throat in anticipation. But the amount of relief you would feel when he denied them always put you at ease, after feeling a little guilty about it. After all, they had plucked up the courage to admit their feelings and yet you were more of a coward. It was an inner turmoil you struggled with on a near, daily basis and you feared that if you didn’t act soon, someone else may just steal him away from you.

Jing Yuan continued to speak but you didn’t quite catch what he was saying, pulse racing frantically in your ears as you pondered on what you were about to do next. With the amount of people he had confessing to him, maybe you could try and shoot your shot as well. The worst he could say was no. You swallowed around the hard lump in your throat as you idly chewed on the dry skin around your cracked lips, your cheeks warm as the words suddenly came spilling from your mouth like a flowing river. 

“You know, I think I should probably confess my feelings too, since half of the Luofu has already done it…”

“Hm?”

Jing Yuan paused with what he was saying when he heard you speak up, immediately swallowing his words as his ears pricked towards your meek voice. He blinked owlishly down at you, trying to process what you had just said for what felt like an eternity. After a brief pause, he stirred and smiled at you.

“Did you say something?” he asked.

It felt like your heart dropped down into your stomach and your skin fluctuated between icy cold chills and a rapid hot flush. You shook your head as you placed your shaky hands on the table as you pushed yourself upright, planning to make a quick escape so you could go bury yourself in a nest of blankets and cry for the next few days as you berated yourself for how stupid this idea was. 

“Nope. Nothing. Not a damn thing” you stuttered in a flustered rush. “I have to leave now. Excuse me.”

Before you could get a chance to tuck your tail between your legs and make a swift exit, Jing Yuan reached over the table and grabbed your wrists before slamming your hands back to the table. The sharp sound rang in your ears as you cringed, eyes nervously flitting up to Jing Yuan. He smiled warmly at you. You tried to tug your hands free but he wouldn’t budge.

“Repeat what you said” Jing Yuan said in a slow and firm tone. 

Gone was the dozing General. Now you were forced to deal with the war General that had been steering the Luofu clear of disasters for several centuries. And he would not brook your disobedience. You couldn't muster up the strength to try and leave. Not that Jing Yuan would let you get away with such an attempt. A shiver tickled the base of your spine as you lowered your gaze, chin tucked into your chest as you quietly murmured to yourself. He squeezed his hands around your wrists, the large palms of his hands warm and almost swallowing your tiny hands whole. 

“Raise your head when you speak” Jing Yuan said. “I cannot hear you when you murmur like that.”

Irritation prickled at the back of your scalp and you couldn’t help but roll your eyes as you were put on the spot. Like he asked, you raised your head and jutted your chin out as you bared your teeth at him.

“Who are you? My Mother?” you grumbled with a biting tone.

“I will act like it if you keep giving me that attitude” he playfully bit back.

A long sigh blew past your lips as your shoulders sagged in defeat. You slowly raised your head, a frown tugging at your lips as you gave him big, sad doe eyes. It made his own gaze lose its sharpness as his eyes suddenly went soft at the little pout that crossed your visage. You idly scuffed your shoe along the floor.

“Why do you always have to be so mean to me?” you lamented.

A soft chuckle stirred in Jing Yuan’s chest. “Because it’s fun to tease you.”

Your cheeks puffed up as your pretty, soused lashes fluttered over your burning cheeks. Jing Yuan soothed the erratic beat of your heart as he drew his thumbs in circles over the fluttering pulse of your wrists, giving you a moment to gather your thoughts before he spoke in a soft voice. 

“Speak to me, my dear.”

The term of endearment that breezed past his lips made you weak in the knees as you slowly crumbled under his alluring charm. You almost collapsed back down in your chair, the tips of your fingers tingling with numbness as you poked them into the rough calluses adorning Jing Yuan’s weathered hands. You turned your words over in your mind before trying to speak to him without the anxiety trying to force your throat to close up. 

“I like you, Jing Yuan” you said. “Really, really like you. So much that I want you to maybe, possibly consider…going out with me?”

Your head was a mess and your sentences felt like a jumble of incoherent words strung together. Your emotions were violently swinging from side to side like an unstable pendulum and you were so surprised that you hadn’t gotten whiplash by now. You hated it when Jing Yuan put you on the spot like this and roasted you in the open fires of a furnace with his scrutinising gaze. Once your confession spilled past your lips, Jing Yuan snorted in response. Your face fell flat. 

“Did you just snort at me, General?” you asked, trying to keep the venom out of your voice.

His shoulders shook with mirth before he roared with laughter. Not exactly the response you were expecting. Your jaw clenched as a soft hiss whistled through your teeth.

“You’re hurting my feelings, Jing Yuan.”

Jing Yuan shook his head as he squeezed your hands with reassurance. “I apologise. I’m just so…elated, to hear you say that.”

You blinked owlishly down at him, a small smile tugging at your lips. “Really?”

Jing Yuan rubbed his thumbs over your knuckles, his demeanour slipping back into casual and playful as he raised your hands to his lips. His breath was warm as if puffed against your skin and you couldn’t tear your gaze off the way his lips parted around a soft coo of your name. 

“Of course. Why do you think I keep inviting you to these lunch dates?”

Your brain stopped functioning properly the second you felt his lips ghost over the back of your hands. That and what he had just casually admitted. The gears in your head started to chug and whirl as you came upon a sudden realisation. Had Jing Yuan been subtly hinting at you his true feelings this entire time and you were too dense to pick up on them? You were about to experience the five stages of grief within the span of ten seconds. 

“You…should have made your intentions clearer” you said. 

A mischievous smirk curled on his lips as he gave you a sly wink. “Now where’s the fun in that?” he purred as he kissed your hands again.

There was a scathing remark itching somewhere at the back of your mind but you lost it somewhere in the clutter of thoughts running a mile a minute through your skull. 

“We’ve wasted a lot of time” you pointed out. 

“Then I guess we’ll just have to make up for it.”

[literaryvein-reblogs]

Word List: Sun

beautiful words with "sun" to help illuminate your poem/story

Sunback - having a low-cut back for tanning and coolness—used of an article of wearing apparel

Sunbaked - heated, parched, or compacted especially by excessive sunlight

Sunbath - an exposure to sunlight or a sunlamp

Sunberry - the edible fruit of the black nightshade; also called wonderberry

Sunbird - any of numerous small brilliantly colored oscine birds (family Nectariniidae) of the tropical Old World somewhat resembling hummingbirds

Sunblind - awning (i.e., a rooflike cover extending over or in front of a place as a shelter)

Sunblink - a glimmer of sunlight

Sunbow - an arch resembling a rainbow made by the sun shining through vapor or mist

Sunchoke - Jerusalem artichoke

Sundeck - the usually upper deck of a ship that is exposed to the most sun; a roof, deck, or terrace for sunning

Sunder - to become parted, disunited, or severed

Sundew - any of a genus (Drosera of the family Droseraceae, the sundew family) of bog-inhabiting insectivorous herbs having leaves covered with gland-tipped adhesive hairs

Sundial - an instrument to show the time of day by the shadow of a gnomon on a usually horizontal plate or on a cylindrical surface

Sundress - a dress with an abbreviated bodice usually exposing the shoulders, arms, and back

Sunfall - sunset

Sunfast - resistant to fading by sunlight

Sunfish - any of numerous North American freshwater bony fishes (family Centrarchidae, especially genus Lepomis) usually with a deep compressed body and metallic luster

Sunflower - any of a genus (Helianthus) of New World composite plants with large yellow-rayed flower heads bearing edible seeds that yield an edible oil

Sunglow - a brownish yellow or rosy flush often seen in the sky before sunrise or after sunset that is due to solar rays scattered or diffracted from particles in the lower and upper air

Sungrazer - any of a group of comets whose perihelions are very close to the sun and which are often destroyed by their close approach to it

Sunless - lacking sunshine; dark, cheerless

Sunpocket - solar trap (i.e., a garden or terrace so oriented as to take advantage of the sun while protected from cold winds)

Sunporch - a screened-in or glassed-in porch with a sunny exposure

Sunscald - an injury of woody plants (such as fruit or forest trees) characterized by localized death of the tissues and sometimes by cankers and caused when it occurs in the summer by the combined action of both the heat and light of the sun and in the winter by the combined action of sun and low temperature to produce freezing of bark and underlying tissues

Sunseeker - a person who travels to an area of warmth and sun especially in winter

Sunsquall - a large jellyfish

Sunstone - aventurine (i.e., a translucent quartz spangled throughout with scales of mica or other mineral)

Sunstruck - affected or touched by the sun

Sunup - sunrise

Sunwise - clockwise

If any of these words make their way into your next poem/story, please tag me, or leave a link in the replies. I would love to read them!

More: Word Lists

[b0r3dtod3ath]

Slow domestic life with Sebastian

masterlist

word count: 517

-If you don’t work or have a day off: slow mornings: cuddles in the bed, hot coffee, breakfast on the balcony, sunshine, whispering/ low quiet tone.

Sebastian loves to watch you. Not in a creepy way. He notices little details in your morning routine. The slight change in your voice right after you wake up. He loves that every time you brush your teeth you lean on the wall. He loves when you do a little confused spin when you don’t know where to look for your favorite mug. He silently giggles when your face scrunches up when you take a first sip of your coffee.

For the first few months of his retirement the fear of boredom occupied his mind. It was soon erased as he learned how to appreciate the slower pace of life. For most of your relationship it has been long distance. Of course you would try to see each other as much as possible. He would invite you to his races and would always spend his holidays with you. But it was hard- not seeing each other for longer periods of time, not always being there for each other. You both hated it and tried to avoid it at all costs but sometimes he would have to leave for a weekend with an unresolved argument in the air. But now, he is grateful that he can be with you all the time.

-He’s so excited for spring; I imagine him having a little veggie garden, a few fruit trees and of course his bees. There would be an outdoor dining table on your terrace. He would love to invite your family and friends for some dinner and wine.

-Because of all this free time he has now he learned how to cook. He can make dinner on his own but he insists that you should cook with him so he doesn’t mess up anything. Obviously he just wants your company.

-Lewis stops by anytime he is in the city. You and Sebastian always insist that he stays at your place for a few nights. It’s like a little holiday for him. When he leaves you always give him at least two jars of honey. 

Speaking of honey- I feel like Seb would give it away to everyone. Family, friends, neighbors, even a random electrician that came to fix something.

-Lots of sitting together in comfortable silence. Just doing your things with each others company. It’s mostly reading books, maybe Sebastian sometimes writes in his little journal. 

-I feel like he has a set sleeping schedule. For sure in bed by 10 PM but he likes to just lay on the bed for a while before actually sleeping. But I also see him going to some clubs maybe - to spend some time with his friends.

Idk why but I don’t think he would be very cuddly while sleeping. He doesn’t hold you tight, he just has his arm loose around you. If you insist then he would hold you closer but he likes to have his space while sleeping. 

-sings in the shower.

[didhewinkback]

dolce vita

something old blurb (not the one yet) i just couldnt resist these pics

word count: 2k, warnings: bad italian translations

---

The lads make their way back into the villa, the loud laughter from the walk having petered out into a comfortable silence as they take in the sounds of the house, vegetables sautéing in the kitchen, conversations from the backyard carrying through the open windows. Harry smiles to himself as he toes his shoes off. A house filled with all the people he loves, how nice is that.  He salutes the lads as they all taper off, tripping over his feet as he heads down the hallway too quickly, already on his way to find you. 

He feels buoyant, light, free, the day with his mates and the bottles of vino they shared has him feeling warm all over. Conversation flowed amongst the group, reminiscing about their messier days when they were younger and celebrating where they are now, with all the highs and lows that come with it. Being able to be vulnerable with each other, openly expressing their emotions with no judgment and not just having lighthearted conversation for the bants…he can’t really explain what that means to him. It’s something he’s sought out in his male friendships all his life and to finally have it will make him cry if he thinks about it for too long. 

He loves his life, he muses, as he ducks his head into random rooms before deciding to check the far office on the right, the Italian wine giving him a nice buzz, giving everything a rose colored hue, softening all its edges, smoothing its curves. He loves Italy, he loves wine, he loves sunshine and heat and - oh.

He stops in the doorway, staring at you lounging out on the office terrace, watching the way you’re hyper focused on your laptop, a furrow between your brows as you rest your knuckles against your lip, eyes moving rapidly on the screen. 

He loves you. 

He thinks about how earlier the lads were ragging on him, begging him to propose while everyone was still here so they could celebrate the one good decision he ever made. Their words, not his, but he’s inclined to agree. He’ll never know what he did to deserve you, thanking his lucky stars and the fates and all who are listening for whatever compelled him to walk onto the courtyard that night. But he had to respectfully decline his friends’ pleas, refusing to succumb to their peer pressure, needing that moment in a few weeks to be for the two of you and the two of you alone. 

He slips into the room and quietly closes the door behind him, feeling like he’s walking on air as he makes his way over to you, leaning against the open terrace doors when he does. He softly clears his throat, a sound that makes your head pop up, eyes lighting up when they lock with his, a smile growing across your face, and his heart skips a beat. He can’t believe you’re looking at him like that. He’s the luckiest bastard alive. 

“Good day?” you ask and he nods, taking a few steps towards you and lightly tapping you on the back, and you instantly slide forward on the lounge chair to make space for him, this silent shorthand you have communicated in all your lives, always somehow knowing what the other is thinking, something that just has grown stronger these last few years. He slides in behind you and pulls you back into him, his back against the chair with your back against his chest, his thighs bracketing yours. He leans back a bit, sliding his palms up your back to massage the tension in your shoulders as you type, the groan of appreciation you make causing goosebumps to erupt across his skin. 

“That’s nice,” you say softly and he stays right where he is, his thumbs digging into your muscles, reveling in how they start to loosen under his touch, as he listens to your fingers against the keyboard, the sounds of your friends’ laughter out back, but out here, off to the side of the house, it’s just the two of you and the birds chirping in the nearby trees, the crickets starting to make their voices known in the late afternoon heat. 

He squeezes your shoulders once more, wrapping his arms around your waist and nuzzling his head into your neck, breathing you in, your combination of sunscreen and sweat and peaches, always a hint of peaches though you swear you never use anything scented and he swears it’s how you’ve always smelled, a reason the peach tree in the backyard thrilled him when he first purchased this house. A little piece of you wherever he is, something he knew he needed before he really understood how he felt about you. 

“How’s it going?” he mumbles into your skin, planting a kiss on your neck, living for the way your breath catches.  

“It’s alright. Had some bullshit to figure out because Suzanne got some deadlines mixed up and was blaming me for reading the applications wrong -”

“Fuck Suzanne.” he says, stomach swooping when you honk out a laugh. He’s always proud when he nails a good line delivery, but never more when he gets you to laugh like that. 

“Exactly,” you say with a laugh. “But I think I solved it and I’m almost done.”

“Like the sound of that. My girl needs a break.” 

“Well, someone in this house has to put food on the table,” you say and he snorts, quietly watching as you finish sending an email. “This lazy lot.”

“Heeey,” he says, laughing when he hears your giggle. “Y’ know what? For that -” 

He leans over, using his free hand to start shutting your laptop before quickly stopping himself. 

“Am I going to fuck everything up if I close this?” he asks.

You shake your head. “You may proceed.”

He snaps the laptop shut, waiting for you to place it on the table next to you before leaning back and pulling you with him. 

“That’s more like it,” he murmurs into your hair as you relax back into him. He stays quiet after that, letting your work day wash over you as he presses a kiss to your head before settling back against the chair, looking up at the sky. 

He slides one hand around your body and down to the hem of your shirt, snaking his palm underneath to lay on your skin, needing to feel you, your warmth, your softness, your smoothness, the feeling of your stomach rising and falling with each breath, feeling the most relaxed and settled that he has in ages. 

He tilts his head slightly to look at you, getting mostly a view of your profile from this angle, watching you stare up at the clouds with a soft smile on your face. He could stay here forever, he thinks, your face his favorite thing he’s ever laid his eyes on. The face he always sought out at break when you weren’t put in the same class in year four, the face he turned to right before he got pulled towards the stage with Dermot when he was sixteen, the face he searched for that weekend three years ago, feeling off kilter and on edge, not fully understanding why until he found you. The first face he sees in the morning and the last one he sees before he closes his eyes, the greatest gift he’s ever been given, the greatest friend he’s ever had, the greatest love he’s ever known. 

“You’re staring,” you murmur, a knowing smile tugging at your lips.

“Just taking in my favorite view,” he says, snorting when you roll your eyes. You twist in his hold so you're face to face, chest to chest, your hand sliding up his neck and into his hair, his arms wrapping around your waist. 

He stares at you for a moment, lips quirking up as he takes you in, the soft smile on your lips, the way you’re looking back at him with such open affection it feels like his heart’s cracked open.

“‘M being serious, you know. I love this face.” he says, his hands coming up to frame your face, thumb slowly rubbing your cheekbone as he takes a deep breath. “‘nd these eyes, the way your right one crinkles more than the left when you’re laughing really hard. ‘nd this smile…’s my favorite smile, feels like it’s just for me.”

“It is,” you say softly and time freezes for a moment, butterflies flying in his stomach because he can wax poetic about you and his feelings for you for days, weeks, years and it still won’t feel like enough and you somehow manage to capture it in a few simple words, words that make him feel like he’s flying, the reminders that you love him, that you’ve always loved him for far longer than he ever deserved. 

He knows he’s not subtle about his plans, as secret as he’s trying to keep them, knows you’re starting to see through his pattern of being unable to do anything but tell you things he loves about you whenever you’re alone, tongue practically tripping over his words as he tries to get them out, needs you to know, needs you to understand how much he’s going to mean it when he gets down on one knee, that there will never be anyone else for him, that there never was. 

He leans in, nudging his nose against yours  before kissing you, slowly, thoroughly, like he’s got all the time in the world, trying to express himself in every way possible. He revels in the way you sigh into his mouth when you open up for him, goosebumps on his neck when he gets a taste of your tongue, sweeter than all the wine he had before, his favorite taste, his favorite kiss, his favorite, his favorite, his favorite. 

He slides his hand down your body, refusing to pull his lips from yours for even a second, one hand squeezing the back of your neck before sliding down your back, grabbing a handful of your arse before sliding back up, pushing up the hem of your t shirt to rest there, his other hand rubbing mindless patterns up and down your side, squeezing every so often to get a new sound out of you. He feels drunk on this day and this moment and you, caught up in how good you feel in his hands, how good you taste on his lips, he can’t help it when Italian starts flowing from his lips. 

“Mi tesoro”, he mutters against your jaw, pressing kisses in a slow line down your neck, his tongue darting out to taste the skin, feeling you try to catch your breath against him. “Sono pazza di te.”

He hears your light gasp, knows those are phrases you understand, knows you both feel on the precipice of something more, the conversations you had around this time last year soon coming to fruition. He can’t stop mumbling against your skin, spurred on by the way you're squeezing his shoulder, your hand sliding down to rest on his chest, nails digging in when he bites down on your neck. 

He makes his way back up your neck, pressing a lingering kiss to your jaw before pulling back to look at you, the two of you catching your breath as you smile at each other. He’ll never get tired of seeing the effect he has on you, your slightly swollen lips, your cupid’s bow rubbed raw from his mustache, the way you’re looking back at him, something he wishes he could bottle up forever.  He drags his knuckle down the side of your face, heart clenching when your eyes flutter shut at the touch, sliding his finger under your chin to tilt your mouth towards his once again, humming into the kiss. Your hand slides up to hold his face, your thumb occasionally dragging along his cheekbone, holding him so gently he just might melt.

He pulls away slowly, pressing a line of kisses up your cheek before pausing at your temple, arms tightening around you, holding you impossibly closer. 

“Mi rendi felice, molto felice. Ti adoro.” he murmurs against your skin, throat clogging with emotion when he says: “Sei l’amore della mia vita.” 

He can feel all the air leave you in a rush before you wrap your arms around his neck, hugging him close, his hand rubbing up and down your back, breathing each other in. You tilt your head to kiss slowly along his jawline, before you whisper in his ear: “And you’re mine.” 

Your lips find each other’s once more, holding tight as your lips meet over and over, like you’ve got all the time in the world, the sweep of your tongue making him moan into your mouth, content to stay here forever, on this chair, wrapped up in you, snogging the life out of each other. He’s unable to stop himself from muttering against your mouth, a phrase he knows you won’t know, at least not yet. 

“Ti voglio sposare, amore mio. Ti voglio sposare. Amore mio. Amore mio. Amore mio.”

---

rough italian translations:

mi tesoro - my treasure, Sono pazza di te - i'm crazy about you, Mi rendi felice, molto felice. Ti adoro - you make me happy, so happy. I adore you, Sei l’amore della mia vita - you are the love of my life, Ti voglio sposare, amore mio. Ti voglio sposare. Amore mio. Amore mio. Amore mio - i'm going to marry you, my love. I'm going to marry you. My love. My love. my love.

taglist:@tobesolovelysstuff, @louyoursins, @daydreamingofmatilda, @jojo-blog53, @marzhshaim, @devilsqueen722, @just-happiness-only,@lomlhstyles, @feestyles, @spock4presidnet, @sunshinemoonsposts, @indierockgirrl, @jerseygirlinca, @kissitnhekitchen, @goldnrry,

[haveamagicalday]

[disneyparktournament]

Quarterfinals

Group 4 - Fantasy

[imdrinkingpedro]

JAVI’S SUNSHINE

(The #Pedrotober2024 Drabble and Cocktail Pairing)

A/N: Prompted by the delicious playlist Javi G’s Living Room After He Drives You Through the Cliffs created by @alyssamariag, this drabble, the gorgeous artistic book cover, drink, and a prequel were brought to life. I suggest you read the prequel from @alwayslurkinginthebackground.

In celebration of #pedrotober2024, The Pedro Pascal Holy Trinity Shared Brain Cell Collective™ invite you to share the story of Javi and his Mariposa.

You were going to just work in the garden.  Truth be told, it wasn’t really a garden.  It was an entire plot of land Javi had cleared for you, raised beds, irrigation systems, a lovely greenhouse–all because you loved to get your hands dirty, to keep yourself grounded.  Life in Javi’s orbit, life with one of the richest men in the world, it would be easy to get lost, to be sucked up in the trappings.  Maybe… if your partner were anyone but Javi.

Stepping on the terrace, huge terracotta pots holding olive and lemon trees, looking past the pool to your own little patch of heaven.  You paused, looking towards the sea, inhaling the fragrance of the lemons; pulling a leaf from the tree, tearing it and wiping the oil onto your fingers, trailing your index finger down the side of your neck from your ear, to your shoulder.  Javi loves the delicate scent of the lemon.

As you stepped past the pool, Javi stepped onto the terrace.

“Mi amor?  Bebe?”  He spotted you, his hair rustling in the breeze, curls bouncing as he walked towards you.  The buttons on his white crocheted shirt undone most of the way, his dark shorts, bare feet, sunkissed skin, delicate freckles...  Coming towards you, hand outstretched.  “Mi amor, come with me?”  He stopped, holding his hand out.

Has it really been almost two years since you’ve been together?  Because your heart stopped, seeing him standing there, waiting for you; reaching for you; wanting to be with you.  Without thinking, you walked toward him, his hands slipping around your waist, him kissing your cheek, your ear, lips trailing down the side of your neck.  The delicate scent of lemon…

Twenty minutes later, in the car, the top down, driving down the curvy road along the coastline on his vast estate, turning towards one of his favorite areas, where the old boathouse was.  Javi parked, stepping out of the car, you watching him as he walked to your side, opening your door, his hand gently taking yours as you stepped out.  Walking to the dock, the warm sun bathing you both.  No words spoken; there wasn’t a need.  Being together sometimes was better in the silence; and everything you needed to say was said in the way you looked at each other.  Javi undid the last two buttons of his shirt, slipping it off, smirking.  He toed off his Vans, then slipped his shorts down.  Standing before you in only his boxer briefs, he turned, and dove into the water, popping up, his hands pushing his hair back from his beautiful face.  

“Venga, mi amor.”

Without even thinking, sliding the straps from your sundress, letting it fall from you, kicking off your sandals.  Less comfortable around water than Javi, you sat down on the marble dockside, in your bra and panties, legs dangling into the water.  Javi swam up to you, one hand reaching for each of your ankles, his large hand cupping a heel as he kissed your right foot then your left.  His hands slid to your calves, running up and down them as his body bobbed in the water between your legs.

“Do you trust me?”  His brown eyes looking up into yours, a slight nod of his head.  He pushed himself back from you, from the dockside.

Despite your persistent fear of the water, you slide off the dock, your head going down further than you’d hoped, your hand reaching out–for something to grab.  Javi’s hand was there–pulling you towards him, your hands going around his neck, your legs wrapping around his hips, he kicked in the water, his hands displacing the water around you as he kept you afloat, you clinging to him until you felt safer.  Letting go slowly, the two of you swam a bit, laughed, chatted about the gala next week; he talked about the story ideas he had for his next script; you talked about nothing–and yet everything.  Life was so easy with him…

After about 15 minutes, Javi noticed you shiver a bit.  He guided you to the stairs off the dock, climbed out and then helped you up.  Laughing, you grabbed your clothes and ran back to the car, really shivering now.  Ever thoughtful, he pulled a sweatshirt out of the trunk and slipped it over you before slipping on his shorts and his shirt.  He put the car heater on to keep you warm, your hair drying as he drove back up the hillside’s roads to the main house.

At home, before entering the house, you slipped off the sweatshirt and dress and rinsed off in the outdoor shower, Javi disappearing to change his clothes quickly.  You pulled your sundress on, quickly poured yourself some of the sangria Javi made last night, and then laid yourself out on the floor, the sun pouring in, over you, drying your body and hair, you stretching your legs out as the sun warmed you from the inside; the gentle breeze, scent of lemon, the comfort of home–nothing had ever been more perfect.

As you start to drift off to sleep, Javi steps into the living room; he’s rinsed the salt water off him, out of his hair.  He’s changed; striped shorts, that yellow shirt you love, most of the buttons undone, he’s humming, holding a towel.  As he passes the cabinet, he flips on the sound system, raises the volume.  

Your eyes open, watching him; he’s golden, the light hitting him perfectly.  Suddenly, there they are again–the butterflies you feel in your stomach every time you see him.

“I should work on the screenplay…” his voice trails off.  He’s just looking at you, his head tilted slightly.

“So are you going to put that water scene in it?” You ask, reminding him what you talked about as you floated in the water.  “The big sparkly romantic montage?”

“No.  I have something better in mind.”

He sets the towel down, then gets down on the floor, straddling you.  Your eyes locked with his as he feels your skin, hot from the sunlight.  Dropping his lips to yours, his elbows resting on either side of your head, he gently kisses you, then trails his nose down your neck.  Without even being conscious of it, your body moves upward, trying to meld into his; your hands go around his neck, trying to pull him closer.  Then he stands, pulling you up with him, his arms around your waist, your skin tingly yet on fire, and firmly places his hands on your back.

“Dance with me,” he whispers.  “Forever.”

2oz Limoncello

1oz White Rum

1oz Fresh Lemon Juice

1oz Cointreau

Splash of club soda

Lemon wedge garnish

IG: DrinkingPedro

#Pedrotober2024 is hosted by @alyssamariag and @norththelemon.

Visit @alwayslurkinginthebackground for the prequel, and @alyssamariag to see the book cover!

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Thank you for the incredible collaboration and use of the shared brain cell, my friends!

Art by @alyssamariag (IG: @alyssamariag) The Pedro Pascal Holy Trinity Shared Brain Cell Collective™, drink by @imdrinkingpedro (IG: @drinkingpedro), prequel by @alwayslurkinginthebackground, and drabble written by @imdrinkingpedro; story based on the Spotify playlist Javi G’s Living Room After He Drives You Through The Cliffs created by Alyssa.

[calabria-mediterranea]

"Catanzaro must be one of the healthiest spots in Southern Italy; perhaps it has no rival in this respect among the towns south of Rome. The furious winds, with which my acquaintances threatened me, did not blow during my stay, but there was always more or less breeze, and the kind of breeze that refreshes. I should like to visit Catanzaro in the summer; probably one would have all the joy of glorious sunshine without oppressive heat, and in the landscape in those glowing days would be indescribably beautiful.

I remember with delight the public garden at Cosenza, its noble view over the valley of the Crati to the heights of Sila; that of Catanzaro is in itself more striking, and the prospect it affords has a sterner, grander note. Here you wander amid groups of magnificent trees, an astonishingly rich and varied vegetation; and from a skirting terrace you look down upon the precipitous gorge, burnt into barenness save where a cactus clings to some jutting rock. Here in summer-time would be freshness amid noontide heat, with wondrous avenues of golden light breaking the dusk beneath the boughs. I shall never see it; but the desire often comes to me under northern skies, when I am weary of labour and seek in fancy a paradise of idleness."

By the Ionian Sea: Notes of a Ramble in Southern Italy, George Gissing (1901)

Thomas Miles Richardson Jr - Catanzaro, Calabria, Italy (1857)

Follow us on Instagram, @calabria_mediterranea

[virgo-mess]

Silver Thread Chapter 8 part 2

Finally finished this part for you guys! I was ridiculously hung up on the Gala for some reason, and I think it's because the events of the Gala aren't super important, but the context is. So, there is some vague small talk surrounding it and some cute fluffy build-up, but ultimately, this chapter is very dark. So please read with discretion or skip this chapter all together if you have to. That being said, this part is over 16,000 words so I'm sorry if you're reading this super late. I hope that those of you are able to get through this and like it for what it is... and I'm sorry.

BIG TRIGGER WARNINGS: Graphic Violence, Abduction, Date rape drugging, Graphic attempted rape, and Graphic sexual assault, I left it kind of vague, but you can interpret that one part with the...however you'd like. There's a new character Pov in this part and Veda, Terry, Margaret, and Larry all have some cute moments in here.

PS: As usual some creative liberties were taken the pictures of the Majestic Downtown in downtown LA, but I've moved the location to Hollywood just because I can, jk it's just because I overthink everything and thought it was necessary for the plot. So, the "Majestic Hollywood" isn't a real place but is a real place all at the same time. Just ignore my rambling here.

Veda’s Pov

Sunday rolled around much quicker than Veda would’ve liked but it wasn’t because she was still nervous about going to the annual charity Gala at the Majestic Hollywood venue with Terry. She was still kind of nervous about the gala but the weekend she spent getting to know some of the kind of people in Terry’s world defiantly helped diminish a lot of her nerves. Now she was more excited about it than anything, but she still found herself not wanting their trip at the ranch to end. It was mostly because they made so many lasting memories in such a short period of time, they took enough pictures to fill two photo albums already and now she felt even closer to Terry on an emotional level.

Terry was able to open up to her a bit more about the time he spent in Vietnam after his emotional undoing during the fourth of July and as always Veda listened empathetically, planting comforting kisses on his temple as she stroked his hair. They spent most of Saturday cuddled up on the terrace or in their private whirlpool just enjoying each other’s company before taking their serene walk up to the waterfalls. They laughed, snapped pictures, and playfully splashed each other for what felt like hours in their perfect little bubble loving and taking care of each other like it was the only thing they lived for. So, when Sunday did finally come, and Veda had to watch the beautiful lavender and grand olive trees swaying in the summer wind like they were bidding her a farewell she couldn’t help but feel sad, a single tear rolled down her rosy cheek as the pulled out of the winding driveway.  

“Sweetheart, what’s wrong?” Terry asked softly, as he pulled the car out of the winding driveway and onto the main road and gave her hand a gentle reassuring squeeze. Veda smiled at him adoringly, loving how he never seemed to miss a thing and knew her so well now.

“Oh, don’t worry, it’s not a big deal. I just really loved staying at the ranch with you and I’d definitely love to come back to it one day” she said sweetly, Terry’s eyes softened as he looked over at her in the glow of the summer sunshine.

“Oh, baby girl, we can go back every year if you want to, it can be our annual weekend getaway” he beamed, bringing her hand up to his lips to pepper it with adoring kisses. Veda giggled; her heart always fluttered at him making so many future plans for them always gently reassuring her that they were very much a sure thing.

“I’d love that, my love” Veda cooed, leaning over to give him a kiss on the cheek before resting her cheek on his strong with a content smile on her face. They spent the rest of the drive back to the Ennis house in one of their serene silences giving each other tender kisses as they got stuck in some of LA’s notoriously bad traffic. They didn’t mind of course, there was very few people either of them would enjoy being couped up in car with for a few hours with and Veda was glad Terry was one of hers and that she was one of his. She imagined she could quite happily live her life practically anywhere as long as Terry was by her side and that was something she never wanted to change. She loved and craved Terry with every fiber of her being.

They made it home around noon and spent the rest of the afternoon cuddled up by the pool reading and making small talk while they shared a sweet lunch. Just trying to fill in some time before they had to go get ready for the gala, Margaret and Veda agreed to help each other with their hair and make up which Veda was very excited about. Veda and Lucielle hadn’t had much time to do any mother and daughter bonding these days even though her mom wanted to drop her job in Fresno after hearing what happened at the pier. Veda of course refused to let her do that no matter how much she missed seeing and spending time with her on a daily basis. Margaret was very keen to help her fill that little void; she had no shame in admitting to Terry that Veda was the only reason she even agreed to attend the gala with them tonight.

“Alright, Mr. Silver, I’m stealing this darling away from you now and there’s nothing you can do about it” Maragret quipped, stepping out onto the pool patio with a dress bag in her hands. Veda giggled watching a playful scowl cross Terry’s face as he narrowed his eyes at her from the chair they were currently cuddled up on.

“Watch it Margaret, if you keep stealing my girlfriend from me, I might have to let you go with a very good severance package of course” Terry said jokingly, playfully pouting at Veda with big blue puppy eyes when she wiggled out of his grasp. Veda rolled her eyes and quickly peppered his face with kisses before bouncing over to Margaret excitedly.

“Doing that won’t stop me from stealing her from you, sir. So, you’d just be without a girlfriend and a million dollars” Margaret said, flashing Terry a coy smile before tugging Veda into the house gently. Veda could hear Terry chuckling softly as they entered the house and made their way down the loggia to the master bedroom.

“What kind of dress did you get Margaret” Veda asked excitedly as she pointed to the dress bag she was still holding. Veda had gone dress shopping with Terry not too long before they left for their trip, Terry as usual was very eager to have her try on a ton of very pricey dresses. At some point she could just tell he was having a lot of fun dressing and undressing her in the dressing room, they did get a little handsy in there and she knew the snobby store attendant knew based on the nasty look she shot her when they were leaving.

“Take a look darling” Maragret said giving her a fond smile as she unzipped the bag, revealing a tea length navy blue dress with quarter length sheer sleeves that was covered in a pretty silver floral pattern. Veda gasped with big grin on her face as she eyed the dress.

“Oh, wow, Margaret it’s beautiful. You’re going to look amazing” Veda said sweetly, Margaret chuckled stroking one of Veda’s cheeks affectionately.

“You’re such a darling, what dress did you and Mr. Silver end up picking?” Margaret asked with a warm maternal smile as she moved toward the vanity to pull out a curling wand and make up. Veda giggled with a slightly impish grin on her face as she urged Margaret to sit on the vanity chair.

“You’ll just have to wait and see. I’m determined to get you all dolled up for tonight, who knows you might even go home with a handsome stranger tonight” Veda chirped, plugging in the curling wand, and getting right to work on Margaret’s makeup. Margaret chuckled with an amused smile on her face as Veda eagerly started doing her eyeshadow and liner.

“Darling, I haven’t met a handsome stranger since my late Mr. Spencer the only one leaving with a handsome man tonight is you. I do have to warn you that tons of desperate girls fawn over Mr. Silver at these events, and I don’t want you to feel discouraged. Mr. Silver only has eyes for you and if any of those women are anything less than polite to you, I’ll handle them.” Margaret said seriously, Veda smiled bashfully as she applied a little concealer and a soft pink blush to Margaret’s fair cheeks and started curling her light blonde hair.

“I know you will Margaret, you all take such good care of me and I’m not too worried about any of those desperate girls. Terry hardly even looks at them unless they’re being rude to me, and I know how to kill them with kindness. Here take a look” Veda said, finishing up with her hair Margaret flashed her another warm maternal smile before taking a look at herself in the mirror.

“Thank you, darling, I like it very much” Margaret said sincerely, stroking one of Veda’s cheeks affectionately for a long moment Veda gave her a sweet smile and placed her hand on top of hers gently.

“Are you okay?” Veda asked softly, Margaret nodded seeming to snap out whatever daydream she was in and rose up from the vanity seat to wrap Veda in a warm embrace. Veda didn’t hesitate to hug her back sensing that she really needed it after whatever distant memory plagued her mind.

“Yes, darling I’m fine, you just remind of someone I used to know is all. Here, have a seat and we’ll get started on you now” Maragaret said, gently urging her to sit down on the vanity seat, Veda sat and wondered who she could possibly remind her of, but she could sense that it might be a touchy subject and didn’t want to pry. So, Veda left the topic alone and shifted their conversation into something more lighthearted while Margaret got to work on her hair and makeup. Margaret was always so sweet to her but never really delved into the more personal aspects of her life. All Veda really knew was that her late husband had passed away in a car accident about fifteen years ago, Margaret never remarried after that, and she never mentioned ever having any children. Veda had always assumed she didn’t, but she never considered the possibility that maybe something had happened to any children they did have either.  

Veda and Margaret laughed and gossiped in a way that was very similar to the way Veda and Lucille often did, dancing on that sweet spot between having a strong mother- daughter bond and being the best of friends. While Margaret applied her makeup in a warm smokey look with shades of gold and deep burgundy, a thin layer of eyeliner and mascara, and then a very soft pink blush. Veda liked that it was a lot softer than some of the more shocking looks they usually published in the high fashion magazines, and it would go perfectly with the short burgundy cocktail dress she and Terry had picked out. Margaret then styled her black wavy hair into a more uniform curled half updo with pretty face framing strands just the way Veda liked it.

“Thank you, Margaret, this will go perfectly with my outfit tonight” Veda said happily, pulling her in for another warm hug with a beaming smile on her face. Margaret chuckled softly, smiling back affectionately when she let her go.

“You’re very welcome, darling, I’d love to see your outfit, why don’t you go get dressed while I tell Mr. Silver we’ll be ready shortly so he can come get dressed too. I’ll just use the guest bath, alight” Margaret said warmly, Veda nodded giving her one last quick hug and a kiss on the cheek before skipping towards the closet to pull out her short, form fitted burgundy off the shoulder cocktail dress, sheer black tights, and closed toed Jimmy Choo black suede platforms. Veda thought the ankle strap and thicker heel might help her walk in them a little better even though she knew Terry had no problem carrying her around if she asked him to. By the time Veda had dressed and stepped out of the close, Terry was already tying his tie in front of the full-length mirror.

“Need any help with that, my love?” Veda asked coyly, as she leaned against the closet doorway causally, Terry’s blue eyes lit up when he looked at her just like she knew they would.

“Yes, please. You’re so gorgeous” he breathed out, eagerly walking towards her with a bashful smile on his face, Veda smiled back at him with rosy cheeks she gave him a sweet kiss on the lips before reaching up to tie his black tie. Terry beamed down at her, stoking her cheek softly with a finger.

“And you’re very handsome.” she cooed, gently smoothing out his tie before giving him another sweet kiss on the lips. “May I ask you something” Veda said, looking up at Terry with curious eyes as she moved to grab the blazer he was planning to wear tonight.

“Of course, you may, baby girl, you can always ask me anything. Are you still a little nervous about tonight” Terry said softly, still stroking her cheek as he gazed into her brown eyes lovingly. Veda gave him a reassuring smile as she shook her head, gently urging him to turn around for her.

“No, I’m really excited about tonight actually. My question was in regard to Margaret, she doesn’t really talk about Mr. Spencer or her life back in England too much. Was Mr. Spencer the only family she had?” Veda asked curiously, helping Terry into his burgundy blazer which he matched to her dress perfectly Veda’s heart fluttered when he said it was so everyone knew they were an item, she loved that he loved being as exclusive with her as she was with him. Terry turned around to meet her gaze once she was done, there was a bit of a somber dancing in his blue eyes and Veda immediately regretted her nosy line of questioning.

“I’m sorry, you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to. I was just wondering because she said that I remind her of someone is all.” Veda said softly, reaching out to hold both of his hands gently, Terry flashed her a reassuring smile as be brought her small hands up to his lips and placed comforting kisses on the backs of them.

“No need to apologize, sweetheart. Margaret is very reserved when it comes to personal matters, if she told you that much that means she really adores you and I’m sure she doesn’t mind me telling you. It’s just a tough subject to talk about because she does have other family, but she hasn’t talked to them in years there’s a whole Spencer family feud going on from my knowledge. She was probably referring to her daughter, Rebecca, they’ve had a very difficult relationship since Mr. Spencer passed but I know Margaret really misses her, and she wishes they were closer.” Terry said softly, Veda nodded feeling a bit relieved but still concerned, that wasn’t the answer she was expecting but it was much better than her first assumption.

“Aw, that’s so sad, I understand why that wouldn’t be something she would want to talk about. Have they not tried to reconcile?” Veda asked, still looking up at him with curious eyes while Terry rubbed soothing circles on her hands.

“I know Margaret has tried to reach out but I’m not sure if she ever got a response, I’m not too sure what exactly happened between them, but I hope Rebecca comes around though I can understand what it might be like on her side of things too.” Terry said sincerely, Veda nodded knowing exactly what he meant since moving in she noticed Terry avoided a lot of his parents calls. She didn’t know what it was like not to have supportive parents even when her dad was around, he always encouraged her to find her own path, she wasn’t sure why Rebecca wasn’t reaching back out to Margaret, but she hoped Rebecca could put whatever it was aside for Margaret’s sake. She couldn’t imagine abandoning her own Mom in a foreign country no matter how upset she was at her.

“Yeah, I hope so too for Margaret’s sake, shall we get going I know the traffic up towards Hollywood can be rough at this time and Larry deserves to eat at a decent hour” Veda said shifting their conversation out of the somber dive it had taken with a bright smile. Terry chuckled nodding in acknowledgement.

“That we shall but first off, I got you something” Terry said with a mischievous glint in his eyes, Veda rolled her eyes though she was still smiling at him with loving brown eyes. She wished he would stop spending so much money on gifts for her she hadn’t exactly planned on going anywhere anytime soon, the transfer request felt like some weird far-off dream to her now.

“You have to stop showering me with gifts, Romeo, believe it or not we’re running out of space in here” she said jokingly, Terry shrugged giving her a kiss on the tip of her nose before pulling out a large black velvet box and revealing a beautiful diamond necklace with a tear drop ruby hanging in the middle of the chain. Veda gasped looking at the expensive necklace with wide doe eyes.

“We’ll just have to buy a bigger house then” Terry said nonchalantly, pulling the necklace out and clasping it around her neck gently. “See, it goes with your dress perfectly. You look amazing, baby girl” he said giving her another sweet kiss on the cheek with an adoring smile on his face. Veda blushed getting slightly teary eyed at the fact he looked so serious about them buying a bigger house together.

“We can’t buy a house until I can pay for half of it Mr. Silver, but thank you for the beautiful necklace, my love. I love it and I love you so much” Veda cooed, wrapping her arms around his torso in the form of a hug, Terry didn’t hesitate to hug her back as he placed a tender kiss on her forehead.

“I love you more, sweetheart, your wish is always my command you know that. Now let’s go show you off, huh” Terry said, giving her another tender kiss on the forehead he offered her his arm in true gentleman fashion and led her out of the bedroom and down the center loggia. The traffic over to Hollywood was as heavy as Veda predicted it would be, she and Terry took the opportunity to express just how good they thought the other looked while Veda sat in Terry’s lap in the backseat of the Rolls Royce Silver Wraith. Margaret had insisted on sitting up front by Larry as soon as she saw the slightly hungry look, they were giving each other by the time they ventured into the living room.

“If you mess her hair up Mr. Silver, I swear I won’t be saving you from the loquacious Walter Getty’s incessant bragging this evening” Maragaret quipped, pulling them out of their ardent kissing session with a pointed look on her face just as Larry was pulling in front of the Majestic Hollywood’s grand arched windows and marble columns. Veda blushed shifting in Terry’s lap with a bashful smile paying on her face.

“That’s not fair, Margaret, she threw herself at me what’s a man to do” Terry said teasingly, Veda pouted up at him and gave him a playful swat on the arm.

“That’s not true Margaret, he pounced on me you saw him” Veda said jokingly, Terry gave her a look of mock offense as he gripped one of her ass cheeks teasingly and trailed a few open mouth kisses down the length of her neck and shoulder. Veda bit back a moan as she felt a love bite forming on her shoulder, she crossed her legs to ease some of the throbbing she currently had radiating through her heat at the moment. She was mildly regretting wearing tights this evening. She should’ve known it was going to be virtually impossible for them to keep their hands off each other, now she was doomed to cross her fabric covered legs all night just to get a little friction. Larry chuckled softly under his breath as he parked the car in front of the venues main entrance.

“My innocent darling would never do such a thing; Mr. Silver and you know it. I’m going to go check us all in, you two are free to take as much time as you need to get whatever’s in your system out of it. We have foster children to raise money for” Margaret said firmly as Larry got out of the car to open her door for her while Terry and Veda giggled in the backseat.

“I can’t believe you threw me under the bus and told Margaret a little white lie, baby girl. You’re the one that pounced on me, and you know it” Terry chided, playfully narrowing his amused blue eyes at her Veda giggled with a mad blush on her cheeks. She had in fact been the one to pounce on him, those invisible walls she had built up were tumbling down quickly and they were taking her discomfort towards intimacy with them, and it was all because of Terry. Veda gazed up at him with shy eyes, playing with the ends of his black curls gently so she wouldn’t mess up his perfect ponytail.

“I know I did, Terry it’s just that I feel so close to you on an emotional and mental level and now I think I’m ready to feel that way with you on a physical level too…” she trailed shyly, Terry’s blue eyes softened as they gazed deeply into her brown ones for a long moment. They sat in silence for a moment, just staring at each other and Veda began to worry that the confession had brought forth some of her initial fears surrounding the nature of their relationship. Veda dropped her hand from his hair sharply and moved to pull away from him, suddenly feeling very self-conscious and a little discourage by his lack of response.

Her moving seemed to snap Terry out of whatever place his mind had wandered off to, he wrapped his arms around her tightly and gave her a soft reassuring smile before he pulled her in for a very passionate kiss. Veda melted into him almost immediately, every ounce of discouragement seemed to melt away and all she felt was his endless love and devotion radiating off of him. It filled her entire being, all consuming in the most beautiful way possible.

“I’m sorry, Veda, I didn’t mean to space out on you like that, you just surprised me that’s all. I’m so happy and honored that you’re considering being intimate with me. I just want to make sure that you’re saying it because you really want to and not because you think I want to.” Terry said softly, reaching up to cradle her face in his hands and gently stroke her cheeks with his thumbs, still gazing deeply into her eyes. Veda nodded her head eagerly with a coy smile playing on her lips as she gazed back at him.

“Yes, Terry I really want to, we don’t have to do it tonight of course. You just told me to let you know when I was ready and I am, my love” she said sincerely, Terry let out a content sigh as he peppered her face with more adoring kisses than Veda could count. She let out a content sigh of her own, feeling her heart swell with a joy that she only ever felt when she was with Terry.

“You make me so happy, sweetheart. I love you so much, I really wished you had told me about this back at the house. I would’ve skipped the gala and flew us out to France in a heartbeat, we can still do that tomorrow.” Terry said happily, Veda giggled shaking her head at him with a beaming smile on her face.

“We can’t just fly to France, silly, we just got back from a trip this morning. We really should be getting to Margaret though” she said teasingly, giving him a playful kiss on the tip of his nose. Terry chuckled, gently setting her down on the seat so he could open up the door and escort her to the gala.

“Don’t be silly, there’s no rule against taking two trips in a row. I’m sure your boss doesn’t mind you skipping work one bit” he said, stepping out of the car and offering her his hand. Veda giggled, rolling her eyes at him playfully.

Terry helped Veda out of the car, and they ventured under the venue’s large archway, Veda gawked at the imposing columns and the gorgeous large glass window she could hear Terry chuckling softly beside her as he gazed at her adoringly.

“Just you wait, baby girl” he cooed, placing a quick kiss on her cheek just as a worker opened the large, gilded door for them. Veda beamed up at him with rosy cheeks, Terry smiled back her adoringly as he led her into the lively lobby, her ears picked up some smooth jazz music echoing through the majestic room and the happy chatter of other gala attendees dressed in relaxed suits and classy cocktail dresses, Veda felt her excitement pick up as she gazed up at the 30-foot-high Italian ceilings, marble columns, and marble floor. Terry gently guided her further into the lobby and down a grand marble staircase.

“This is so beautiful, Terry” Veda said dreamily, as they walked into the main ballroom to see gorgeous chandeliers and a plethora of tables adorned in luscious clothes and awe-inspiring center pieces. Terry beamed at her adoringly before placing a tender kiss on her cheek, they found Margaret patiently waiting for them as she glanced at some of the things up for auction on a large table. Veda noticed a lot of nosy parties gaping at her and Terry while they had some hushed conversations, Veda leaned further into Terry’s side having felt a little uncomfortable under their scrutinizing eyes. The most intense gaze was coming from very leggy blonde woman with catlike green eyes, she was dressed in a revealing gold cocktail dress with a high slit up on thigh. Veda wrapped her arms around Terry’s torso possessively, she had a feeling the woman’s intense gaze had everything to do with the fact she was glued to Terry’s arm.

“I’m glad you like it, sweetheart. Don’t worry about them, you’re the most beautiful woman here by far” he cooed into her ear as he gave her another tender kiss on the cheek, Veda gave him a sweet smile with a mildly bashful blush gracing her cheeks. He could read her like a book now.

“Thank you, my love. So, what’s on the agenda?” she asked, Terry chuckled he always found her eagerness adorable.

“First, we mingle over cocktails I’ve got some people I really would like you to meet tonight, the dean of admissions from USC is here. I know you’re still thinking about USC, this is absolutely a no pressure meeting, baby girl. I just thought you’d like to hear about some other scholarship options, and she can answer all your questions. After cocktail hour we have dinner then there will be a lot of speeches and after that the real party begins. There are auctions as you know but there will also be dancing….” Terry trailed teasingly; Veda giggled because he knew the promise of dancing sold her on any deal, her heart fluttered at him tracking down the USC dean of admissions for her.

“You didn’t tell me there would be dancing, Mr. Silver, we haven’t gotten to dance since my birthday ball. Thank you for tracking down the dean of admissions for me, I really appreciate it and you, my love” she cooed lovingly, Terry gave her a sweet peck on the lips and a beaming smile.

“You’re very welcome, baby girl, should we go have a chat with her now?” Terry asked, Veda noticed the hopeful note in his tone, and she let her eyes soften as she gazed up at him.

“Of course I do, Romeo, lets go”

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Tommy’s Pov

Tommy sighed, anxiously tapping his fingers on his steering wheel of his dad’s Cadilac Fleetwood watching men clad in classic suits and women dressed in modish cocktail dresses of various lengths wander in and out of the Majestic Hollywood’s lobby. If people were wandering around that meant dinner was over and the auctions, live music, and dancing had started. Sneaking into the hotel’s annual charity gala shouldn’t be that hard, he’s been to a few of them himself, but Tommy didn’t want to be at this one, not tonight, not with Dutch, not Chad. Not now that he knew what they were gearing up to do. Right now, Tommy was just waiting for an opening to rush in and warn Veda and her fiancé what Dutch and Chad were planning, he knew her fiancé was the one that smashed his mom’s China and keyed his new Corvette. Tommy didn’t really care though; he couldn’t deny he deserved some sort of punishment after what he said and what he let Chad do to her. For now, he was just glad his spot at Berkley wasn’t being threatened at the present moment.

  Tommy could vaguely hear Dutch and Chad engaging in a hushed conversation from where they stood outside the car surveying the patrons lingering in the cobblestone garden. They’d been increasingly hostile towards him since he asked them a pointed question about what they were up to tonight when they passed Hollywood Blvd but really their growing contempt for him started weeks prior. Tommy felt extremely guilty about what he let Chad do to Veda at the pier and about threatening her like that, he had only said most of what he said out of jealousy. Tommy had developed a crush on her shortly after she moved to Pasadena, but the guys thought it’d be a good idea to have one of them mess with her as a way to get back at Daniel.

Tommy hated the idea, obviously, but he didn’t have the guts to stand up to his friends back then, he knew they’d chew him out for wanting to be with some poor girl from Jersey no matter how beautiful she was. Veda was right nothing that happened with Cobra Kai was her fault and yet she was the one who suffered most, and this really struck a chord in Tommy. So, he never ended up telling Dutch about running into her or her new fiancé and he made Chad swear not to say anything either given his own criminal actions at the pier that day. Tommy should’ve known Chad wouldn’t stay true to his word, if there was one thing Chad couldn’t do it was keep a secret. He let everything spill long before he even got the restraining order she filed against him, and he made sure to leave his little misdeed out of the retelling of course. After he and Dutch got into a violent confrontation about the whole thing, Tommy stopped hanging out with him and Chad all together. He’d been spending the last few weeks with Bobby and Johnny going to Golf N’ Stuff and the movies.

So needless to say, Tommy was shocked when they showed up at his front door tonight asking for a ride because not only did Chad have a horrible new haircut and two broken arms, but his parents confiscated his Camero and kicked him out of the house. Tommy blindly agreed but only because Chad looked like he’d been through the ringer even though he was dressed in a nice suit. If he had known what they were planning to do before he pulled up to the hotel, he would’ve turned back, and they knew it. They kept him in the dark up until Dutch swung his passenger door open and revealed his plan to violate Veda LaRusso for having the nerve to dump him and find a man he could never compete with. Tommy could empathize with him on not being picked at least, first he lost Ali to Johnny and then he lost Veda to Dutch, he was sure Veda didn’t know he liked her that way but that didn’t stop his ego from being bruised. But Tommy couldn’t condone what Dutch was about to do to her in retaliation just like he couldn’t condone what he and Chad did to her at the pier.  Tommy wished he had spoken up in the dojo that day he heard Dutch and Johnny were cooking up another way to mess with Daniel LaRusso. Veda wasn’t the first girl Dutch emotionally and physically abused; she was just the first one that had someone to defend her. Now his silence had Dutch thinking he was untouchable, invincible even. Tommy knew he couldn’t change the past, but he was hoping he could change the future.

 Tommy glared at them from the driver’s seat, watching Dutch hastily adjust his tie and help fix Chad’s mess of a haircut. Tommy had to stifle a laugh when he swung open his front door to see Chad looking like his golden boy locks were in a losing battle with a weedwhacker.

“This is ridiculous guys, seriously how is Chad even going to help with two fucked up arms and a restraining order, huh, he’s not even supposed to be within 100 yards of Veda. You’re violating that right now Chaddy. Let’s just go see that new movie Back to the Future it’s got that kid from Teen Wolf and Family Ties and Christoper Lloyd, Bobby and Jimmy said it was pretty good.” Tommy said, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible, he supposed he could just leave them here it would at least slow them down if they didn’t have a getaway driver, but he knew if he could get to Veda’s giant of a fiancé first Dutch and Chad didn’t stand a chance. He really couldn’t believe they were even considering this an option after Chad was in the ER for a day and in the hospital for three.  Dutch bent down to glare at him through the open passenger door with intimidating, hollow brown eyes and a wicked looking smirk plastered on his face as he raked a rough hand through his peroxide strands.

“Well, no shit, Tommy, that’s why you’re going to help me and Chaddy here is only handling this” he said lowly, holding up a vile filled with clear liquid in his hand. Tommy’s eyes widened in disbelief, as if planning to rape and beat his ex-girlfriend to death wasn’t bad enough. Dutch was also in violation of his probation and was willing to throw his entire life away at this point, he didn’t have the luxury of being 17 anymore and Tommy doubted he could handle being tried as an adult. Tommy felt nauseated as he jolted himself out of the car, charging at Dutch with a speed he didn’t know he was capable of.

“What the hell is wrong with you, you can’t give her that shit! You’re not even supposed to have that shit with your probation what are you, fucking stupid?! Give me that!” Tommy sneered, attempting to pry the vile out of Dutch’s iron grip erratically. Dutch chuckled darkly, amusement dancing in his darkened eyes as he held the vile just out of reach. Chad eye’s darted between them, their commotion was starting to attract curious on lookers.

“Dutch, people are watching” Chad said in a hushed tone, Dutch rolled his eyes stuffing the vile in one of his suit pockets and landing a rough punch to Tommy’s gut. Tommy gasped, struggling for breath as he doubled over clutching his stomach, Dutch chuckled again placing a mock comforting hand on Tommy’s shoulder as he leaned down to speak to him with menacing black eyes.

“Fine Tommy, I won’t use this but only if you agree to help me get her out of there as quickly and quietly as possible. Otherwise Chaddy will be slipping this into her champagne glass, you see I’m going to get what I want from that little slut either way and I don’t really care how I get there. I guess the little lesson I taught her back in November when she tried wiggle out of my grasp the first time didn’t sink in. Now she and the rich giant she whored herself out for are going to pay the price for what they’ve both done. Look at all the stuff they’ve done to poor Chaddy here, look what they did to your new Corvette and do you really think your mom’s China just magically shattered all by itself, Tommy.” Dutch said disingenuously, he already knew Veda didn’t have a hand in any of those calculated attacks. She was smart but way too pure for any of that save for maybe some pointless China. Tommy glared at him, finally catching his breath he straightened up and took a threatening step towards him.

“I’m not helping you throw your life away, Dutch Howard. What do you think you’re gaining by doing this, huh. You just turned 18 three weeks ago, you have a vile of illegal GHB in your pocket, and you’re with a guy that’s not allowed to be within 100 yards of the girl you’re planning to use it on. A guy that’s already fucked up his life, Chad, you’re homeless right now, you don’t have a car, you don’t have a job, you don’t a have spot at Berkley. What you do have right now is two broken arms and restraining order that you’re in violation of right now. Is this really what you guys want to do? If it is then I won’t have any other choice but to stop you, I’ll get her fiancé and I’ll call the cops and tell them everything about you violating your probation and all the premeditating you’ve clearly done, Dutch, and you violating your restraining order Chad and being an accessory. I’ll forget everything if you guys get back in the car right now and let me take you home.” Tommy pleaded, Dutch clenched his jaw and for once appeared conflicted as he pondered over the ultimatum. Chad shifted uncomfortably looking down at his dress shoes with an abashed expression on his face.

“You don’t understand, Tommy. Veda abandoned me and I can’t allow her to think that’s okay, if she’s not going to be happy with me then she’s not going to be happy with anyone. So, you’re either with me or against me, Tommy, Chad, what’s it gonna be” Dutch said in an eerily calm voice, Tommy shook his head as he took a fighting stance ready to fight because Veda’s life depended on it. Chad glanced between them as he shakily made a move towards the still open passenger door.

“Dutch, you said we were just going to scare her, you didn’t say…I can’t go to prison” Chad stuttered looking a ghostly shade of white as he sat down on the passenger seat. Dutch let out a deeply disappointed sounding sigh before lunging at Tommy with enough force to tackle him onto the concrete. Tommy gasped, craning his head so it wouldn’t crack against the pavement, he didn’t have time to react, feeling slightly dazed as he felt two cool metal prongs embed themselves into the side of his neck.

“Dutch, stop” Chad yelled, cowering in the passenger seat with wide horrified green eyes. Dutch flashed him a sinister glare.

“You’re going to follow me inside and slip this in that pretty little bitch’s drink. Understand” he snarled, pulling the trigger on the stun gun more times than was legally necessary. Tommy soundlessly convulsed beneath Dutch feeling never ending torturous shocks radiate trough his body.

“Okay, okay, I’ll do it man. Just stop doing that, you’ll kill him” Chad pleaded frantically, a satisfied devilish smirk crossed Dutch’s face as he pulled the trigger one final excruciating time. Dutch snatched the Cadillac keys out of his pocket before, rising slowly to his feet leering down at Tommy with black eyes as he lay convulsing involuntarily, still having no control over his muscles.

“I’m sorry, Tommy, if it’s any consolation this is probably the last time, you’ll ever have to see me because if I’m not happy with her then I won’t be happy with anyone either. You just rest now, hmm, you’ll be just fine.” Dutch said with an eerie note of sincerity as he beckoned a cowering Chad towards him.

Tommy gasped sharply watching Dutch leave his line of sight and Chad stopping momentarily, glancing down at him with concern swirling in his still frightened green eyes.

“Find tall man, go, go, be there soon” Tommy managed to gasp out hoarsely, Chad nodded with teary eyes before trailing after Dutch. Tommy laid on the ground for what felt like forever, starring up at the starry LA sky with a heavy heart as he thought of Veda innocently gulping a lethal glass of champagne. The thought was enough to motivate him to roll over on concrete, weakly rising to his knees and then his feet with a newfound determination. Dutch may be beyond saving at this point, but Veda wasn’t she deserved to be happy after all the things Dutch had done to her while they sat idly by. Tommy shakily made his way up to the Majestic Hollywood, ignoring the incredulous looks he was getting from snobby patrons for being underdressed as he trudged into the lobby and shoved past the brooding security guard sitting at the front desk to pick up the phone.

“Sir, I’m going to have to ask you to leave” the guard said, roughly trying to pry the telephone out of his fingers.

“Can’t, sorry, I’m calling the police and you’re going to go do your job, okay. There’s a crazy looking kid with bleach blonde hair roaming around right now that you have to find, you hear me. He’s violent and if you don’t want any of these folks getting hurt you better move, now!” Tommy exclaimed as he finished dialing the three-digit number into the keypad with shaky fingers and wild blue eyes.

“911, what’s your emergency.”

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Veda’s Pov

The gala began with a lively cocktail hour and a very delicious dinner, Veda’s chat with the dean of admissions went perfectly, she told her all about the gifted program the university was planning to implement next fall. She also said that if Veda ended her freshman year at CalTech with academic excellence there was a possibility of Veda receiving a special grant so she could attend USC almost tuition free save for housing and school supplies. With this newfound information, Veda thought the odds of her starting her sophomore year at USC were very likely and she had her Romeo to thank for it. By the time dinner rolled around Terry had been unwittingly sucked into a very stale conversation with Walter Getty, a slightly self-centered business tycoon who was planning on opening two art museums in the next few years. Veda politely conversed with him about the future art museums he was planning to open but Walter only seemed interested in wooing her away from Terry. Veda thought it was funny Walter thought that was a possibility as if she and Terry weren’t basically on top of each other. Terry could tell Walter’s advances were making her uncomfortable and “suggested” she and Margaret go look at all the auction items for a while. So, Veda and Margaret happily sipped on tons champagne while they gossiped, made small talk with some other gala goers, and looked at auction items. All the champagne they were drinking seemed to go right through them and before they knew it, they were searching for a bathroom.

Veda went back to the table to tell Terry where they were going, Terry pouted at her with big blue puppy eyes because Walter Getty was still talking his ear off about something pointless.

“I’m sorry, my love, by the time I get back it should be time for dancing at least” Veda cooed, Terry chuckled softly and pointedly pulled her in for a very fiery kiss just to rub it in Walter’s face. It did serve to put a stop to Walter’s incessant babbling for a moment at least but the leer he was giving Veda made her skin crawl.

“Alright, baby girl but I’m going to hold you to that” Terry said teasingly, Veda giggled giving him another sweet kiss on the cheek before skipping off with Margaret. After a waiting in line for a while, Veda and Margaret decided to go look for a bathroom that didn’t have an insane line wrapped around the corner. They made their usual small talk as they wandered out of the ballroom to take the elevator up to the second-floor balcony. Veda took a little extra time gawking at some of the gorgeous architecture she hadn’t had a chance to peek at on the way in.

“So, that blonde girl, Julia, what’s her deal?” Veda asked nonchalantly, even though she was silently seething over the sheer audacity Julia had to brazenly flirt with Terry like she wasn’t even there as soon as they sat down at their table. Margaret chuckled softly, giving Veda a maternal pat on the shoulder and an affectionate light pinch on her cheek. Veda giggled rolling her eyes playfully, looping an arm with Margaret as they continued walking past a few stray party goers. She could faintly hear the music below them grow a bit louder indicating the auctions were taking their final bids and would soon be ending. Veda picked up their pace a bit because after the winners were announced the real dancing of the evening would commence and she wasn’t about to let Julia Vanderbilt snag her first gala dance out from under her nose.

“She has no deal, darling. She’s just a spoiled rich girl who can’t stand it when she doesn’t get her way. Julia’s been throwing herself at Mr. Silver for years, mostly all on Mr. Silver Sr.’s wishes to combine their family’s businesses and wealth. Obviously, our Mr. Silver couldn’t care less about his father’s dream, he still enlisted and begrudgingly agreed to take over Dynatox and that’s where the older Mr. Silver’s dream dies. Julia is so not his type anyway darling; you have nothing to worry about on that front, trust me” Maragret said with a reassuring smile on her face, Veda smiled back at her nodding in acknowledgment. Though she wished she didn’t have to care so much about making a good impression on these people for appearances sake. If she didn’t have to, she would have turned on the Jersey girl mystic before Julia even placed a perfectly manicured finger on Terry’s arm.

Veda and Margaret settled on the ladies’ room just off the main staircase, it was more secluded and virtually empty seen as how mostly everyone was trying to see if they won anything at the auction. Veda shuffled into a stall being mindful not to make a run in her sheer tights, they provided a nice barrier because the suede platform heels, she was wearing weren’t as comfortable as she had been hoping though they were notably easier to walk in. Veda knew Terry would probably be carrying her back to the Rolls Royce tonight anyway especially after their little moment in the car earlier.

“I’ll be just out here in the hall, darling” Maragaret called out by the bathroom door, having already finished freshening herself up for the evening. Veda nodded, giggling softly at herself for acting like Margaret could see her behind the door perhaps she should let up on the champagne for a while.

“Okay, Margaret” Veda chirped, hearing the click of Maragret’s heels become softer as she exited the bathroom. Veda finished up not to long after, but she took a little extra time in front of the bathroom mirror after washing her hands to smooth out her dress, adjusting the way the burgundy frill fell off her tanned shoulders. Veda hummed softly to herself as she pulled some lip gloss and some concealer out of her black and gold clutch, she quickly applied concealer over the little love bite Terry left on her shoulder in the car, she had forgotten all about it in her child like wonder fixation upon entering. Veda found the fact Julia and Walter were still blazingly trying to steal her and Terry from each other with this display on her shoulder incredibly odd. Veda applied her gloss over her plump lips in a thin even coat, and furrowed her brows as she vaguely heard a bit of a ruckus just outside the bathroom door. She gave herself one last look over, fixing one of her stray curls before tossing her things back into her bag and swinging the bathroom door open.

“Alright, Margaret, ready to see if you won that all-inclusive package to Hawaii, you know Terry will probably give you one if you’d just ask” Veda giggled, stepping out into the hallway to find it empty.

“Margaret” Veda called, wandering further down the secluded hallway to find it completely empty. Veda furrowed her brows again because it wasn’t like Margaret to just say she was going to be somewhere and not be there, Veda considered that Margaret may have meant the larger hallway by the balcony overlooking the gala. They did down a lot of champagne during their little gossip session near the auction and raffle table when Terry got tied up with Walter Getty. Veda ventured past the elevators and into the larger hallway near the balcony, letting her eyes sweep through the empty hall before craning her head to look over the banister. She sighed; she couldn’t really see anything going on down on the gala floor from where she was, but she could hear the faint buzz of excited chatter, lively jazz piano music, and the small ding of one of the elevators behind her.

“Maybe she went back to Terry” Veda mumbled under her breath to herself, she could find her way back to the ballroom easily, but she was still worried about where Margaret disappeared to. Veda continued looking over the banister, beginning her short journey back towards the ballroom in short strides still trying to catch a glimpse of Margaret’s blue and silver adorned dress skirt. Veda walked slowly down the empty hallway; she was looking up at some of the intricate paintings on the ceiling when a muffled cry caught her attention. Veda stopped for a moment listening to the sound intently from where she stood, she could pinpoint that it was coming from the hall leading to the bathroom and she felt her chest twinge with both concern and curiosity.

“Margaret, is that you?” Veda called out, turning on her heel she rushed back towards the elevators to find the hall still as empty as it was when she left it. Veda felt some of her curiosity shift into a realm of confusion and fear, she felt the hairs stand up on the back of her neck as she cautiously backed up towards the elevators with wide, doe like brown eyes. She felt her adrenaline pick up as goosebumps started to rise all over her tan skin, her ears drowned out the party chatter and live music long enough for her to hear one of the elevator doors ding and slide open next to her. Veda stopped in her tracks when she caught a glimpse of Margaret’s blue and silvery tulle skirt in the elevator out of the corner of her eye. Veda let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding as she turned to face the elevator fully, taking in Margaret’s sprawled out form face down on the elevator floor. Veda gasped rushing to kneel beside her still, unmoving form frantically.

“Oh, Margaret!” Veda cried running her hand up her back, she too afraid to shift her if she was hurt badly. Margaret gave her a muffled reply turning her head to face Veda groggily, there was a gag on her mouth and a crimson stream gliding down her forehead. Veda gasped again, feeling unbearably sickened at the state Margaret was currently in as she gingerly untied the gag around her mouth before inspecting the gash hidden in her light blonde hairline.

“Maragret what happened, who did this to you” Veda asked softly, as she brushed some of her light hair off her forehead gently, she was relieved to see Margaret perk up slightly, but her blue eyes were filled with panic and concern as she gazed up into her brown ones. Margaret gripped Veda’s left hand firmly.

“You need to go to Mr. Silver, Veda, now” Margaret said firmly, but Veda caught the twinge of fear in her steely tone. Veda shook her head using her right hand to wipe off a bit of the blood trailing down her pale cheek with the gag she just removed from her mouth.

“No, I can’t leave you in here like this Margaret, let’s get you down to the lobby first come on” Veda said, ignoring the way the elevator doors persistently kept attempting to shut around her outstretched legs. Margaret shook her head frantically tightening the iron grip she had on Veda’s left hand with serious blue eyes.

“No, Veda, you have to go now! Dutch is here looking for you, I told him you went down to see the new Reserve bar downstairs before you headed back to the party. It’s not going to take him long to figure out I lied, so go, I’ll be fine darling. I’ve been through a lot worse believe me, now go!” Margaret pleaded, gently trying to shove her out of the elevator. Veda inhaled sharply feeling her blood run cold as she sat trying to process all the newfound information. The punishment for daring to be happy without Dutch Howard was finally catching up to her, she had hoped having Terry in the driver’s seat would at least give her a head start but it would appear Dutch had outwitted both of them. He showed up on the one-night Terry was too engrossed with keeping up social appearances to keep her glued to his side every second, she and Margaret had left him there almost twenty minutes ago now, Veda knew Terry was definitely getting anxious by now but since she’d left with Margaret, he’d be less compelled to come looking for her immediately. Veda didn’t have time to wonder how Dutch had even gotten into the gala or how he knew Margaret worked for Terry, let alone how he even knew any of them would even be here tonight.

Veda nodded letting out a shaky breath as she reached up to hit the button for the lobby, she was sure Dutch wouldn’t try to hurt Margaret further if she was in a room full of people. He liked to keep his more brutal assaults quiet and tonight he had no dojo or tournament rules to abide by. Veda let out another shaky breath as she stared back at Margaret with lifeless brown eyes.

“Okay, Margaret, I’ll see you later, be safe” Veda said shakily crawling out of the elevator not having the strength to rise to her feet at the moment. She forced herself to flash Margaret a reassuring smile though she was really doubting there was a possibility that she’d ever actually be seeing her, Terry, her mom, Daniel, Larry, Rob and Zoe, or Milos ever again. At least the other’s last memories of her would be happy, the last time she saw her brother she slammed the door in his face and told him she was disappointed in him. Veda sat on the ground unmoving as she watched Margaret struggling to sit up just as the elevator doors glided shut, seemingly in slow motion.

Veda struggled to her feet, listening once again to the lively music and happy chatter floating up through the marble floors and filling the stock-still empty hallways in a way that made her feel like they were sending her off. Veda was having trouble seeing past her present dire circumstances to consider all her other options. She could run to the staircase or toTerry screaming at the top of her lungs, part of her knew Dutch would still find her there but if she was going to die tonight, she would at least want to see Terry one last time. Veda forced herself to move her feet as quickly as she could in the devilish black heels currently trying to stymie her journey back to the ballroom. Their frantic clicks echoed through the empty hall, melding with the distant sounds of happy commotion and soft music in an eerily perfect harmony. The anxious clicks seemed to swell with the jazzy piano solo lulling up the staircase in an unpropitious crescendo. That was soon followed by a gloomy, dragging, direful diminuendo.

Veda’s plan to scream bloody murder were impeded by the cruel clammy hand that flew over her mouth and pinched her nose shut. She let out a muffled whimper thrashing in the cruel arm snaked firmly around her waist in a leachy vice. The only sounds filling her ears now were the screeching sound her heels made against the hard tiled floors and Dutch’s labored breathing.

“I’m assuming you never made it to the Reserve bar downstairs did ya, doll face. Don’t worry, you can have a drink in the car” Dutch snarled, planting a nasty kiss on her cheek that made her stomach churn as she struggled to breathe. Dutch tightened the hold around her waist as he violently yanked her into the elevator.

“I can tell by all your thrashing Chaddy didn’t hold up his end of the deal, but that’s alright I’ve got more in my pocket for you right here, honey and I’ll be dealing with Chaddy later.  When these doors open, you’re going act normal and not draw any attention to us if you do, you’re dead before we get out of the lobby, understand?” Dutch said, painfully yanking on her chin to make her look at him, Dutch removed the arm he had wrapped around her waist to dig in one of his suit pockets. Veda whimpered as the iridescent abalone hilt of Dutch’s nefarious nine-inch Italian stiletto switchblade came into view.

“You remember Lilith don’t you, doll face. I picked her because she reminded me of you, you know, beautiful, sexy, and impish. I named her after Adam’s first wife, you know the one who was banished from Eden for disobeying the rules Adam laid out for her. That’s also why I used her during our first little lesson back in November, honey. I wanted you to learn what would happen if you disobeyed me, but I guess the lesson didn’t take, huh. I’m willing to not use her tonight if you can show me that my teaching didn’t fall on deaf ears after all. Can you do that doll face?” Dutch taunted with a wicked smirk and wild brown eyes, Veda nodded franticly, feeling lightheaded from the lack of oxygen as a few hot tears rolled down her cheek. Dutch flashed her a nauseating smile finally removing his rough hand from her mouth and nose so she could breathe.

“Good, now push the button and we can save these for later” Dutch taunted, vilely licking the stray tears sliding down the length of her flushed cheek as he clasped a rotten hand around her throat firmly. Veda shuddered pushing the button to the lobby with one trembling finger, she tried to ignore the way Dutch trailed his other hand up to roughly fondle her breasts. She found herself wishing he’d just kill her if tonight meant she’d be losing her virginity to anyone other than Terry.

“They’re so big now, doll face, I should’ve been the first and only one to ever touch or look at these, Veda. Now you have to pay for being a little fucking slut” he hissed, the elevator doors slid open to reveal the lively lobby and Dutch took the opportunity to shove her as hard as he could without letting her actually hit the ground. He gripped her upper arm wrenching her through the lobby like a cop hauls away a monstrous criminal, ripping her away from Terry like a tornado rips up trees. She couldn’t help the tears that welled in eyes at the prospect of never being in Terry’s gentle arms again, of never seeing him again, of never loving him again if she couldn’t do any of that again she might as well be in a prison because being without him felt like that already. Veda’s terrified eyes were silently pleading to everyone, they passed to save her. Nobody really paid them any mind; they didn’t stick out amongst all the other patrons dressed up in suits and cocktail dresses. Veda caught sight of Larry shouting at one of the security guards while Margaret was being tended to by a paramedic. For a second Veda felt a small glimmer of hope, if she could find a way to catch their attention, she might live to see her Romeo again.

 Without giving it much thought Veda unclipped the clasp on the clutch she managed to hang on to in their scuffle upstairs and let the contents topple out onto the floor she made it a point to slip on the tube of concealer. Dutch flashed her a sinister look as she slid out of his hold and onto the floor with a painful thud, Veda winced as her head collided with the hard marble floor but the sea of concerned patrons rushing to her aid was worth it, getting to be in Terry’s arms again was worth everything. Not even the sinister look Dutch was giving her right now could convince her otherwise.

 Veda whimpered attempting to crawl away from him and into the sea of people stomping their way. Dutch let out a deep animalistic growl looking between her and the stampede with wild dark brown eyes. Veda felt her heart plummet into the pits of her still nauseated stomach when Dutch lunged at her with a speed, she didn’t think was possible. She didn’t have time to move out of the path of his ferocious hands before they tangled in her perfect black curls and ruthlessly yanked and dragged her across the white tiled floor. Veda didn’t hesitate to let out a blood curdling scream that echoed through the lobby, she was sure they could hear her all the way upstairs in the ballroom by now. Veda reached up to dig her nails into his vicious hands, scratching at them like a disgruntled kitten aggressively. Dutch only tightened his hold as he dragged her thrashing body towards the front entrance, dodging all the patrons making rescue attempts.

“You little bitch!” Dutch growled kicking all the items from her purse across the lobby with the same amount of force you’d use to kick down a door. Veda didn’t cease her Banshi like howling even when Dutch yanked her to her feet, and she felt him press Lilith’s cold baleful blade into the side of her neck. A buzz of hundreds of concerned, frantic protests flooded through the lobby as Dutch let them see what he had pressed against a very vulnerable part of her body. Veda only halted her screeching because she needed a moment to catch her breath, she could make out some of the voices calling out towards them now.

“That’s him right there!” Margaret cried, pointing to where Dutch was still standing frozen in the doorway. The security guard was advancing on them, speaking into his walkie talkie with his gun drawn.

“Sir, the police are already on their way, don’t make this worse for yourself by doing something stupid. Let the young lady go, now” the guard said, trying to get a clear shot at Dutch who simply positioned Veda further in front of him like a shield. Veda fought back tears as the small glimmer of hope in her heart started to extinguish.

“Oh, you’ve really done it this time, doll face. In case you haven’t noticed there’s no version of this where you will be getting away from me alive. If you’re not happy with me, you won’t be happy be with anyone and there’s nothing your rich pretty boy fiancé can do about it” Dutch whispered menacingly in her ear, Veda shuddered swallowing thickly as she felt Dutch backing them outside, she could see Larry cautiously approaching them out of the corner of her eye. The intense glare he was giving Dutch caught her by surprise because she had never seen Larry look anything less than warm and fatherly before. Now he looked so brooding, so incredibly formidable as he stalked towards Dutch like a lion stalks prey, he let his grey, fatherly eyes soften for a moment as they settled on her trembling form. Veda relaxed a bit under his protective gaze, for a moment she thought she might live to see another day.

“It’s okay little one, Mr. Silver will be here any second now” Larry said with a warm reassuring smile, Veda stared back at him with big teary brown eyes reaching out to him with trembling arms like a child reaches out to a parent when they want to be held. Larry reached an arm out to her but let it fall limp at his side when Veda let out a pained yelp as she felt Dutch yank her roughly by the hair again. The action stood in stark contrast to the gentle soothing passes Terry’s tender fingers always made through her thick hair. Veda inhaled sharply as she felt Lilith’s blade dig into her pregnable neck leaving a small crimson stream in her wake.

Larry’s grey eyes hardened settling on Dutch in the form of a menacing steely eyed glare that had Veda questioning everything, she thought she knew about him. She knew he sometimes helped Terry with violent matters, she naturally assumed he was merely the getaway driver and didn’t actually partake in any of the fighting. Veda caught a glimpse of a tattoo on Larry’s flexed forearm when he finished rolling up his sleeves like some big bad mob boss, she couldn’t help but stare at him in awe as he closed in on them. Unlike Dutch his steely grey eyes weren’t wild and ferocious instead they were controlled, wise, and calculated as they glowered at Dutch in the bright lobby lighting.

“If you don’t get that knife away from that little girl’s neck right now son, so help me I will pop you one and you won’t live to tell the tale about it” Larry said coolly, taking another intimidating step towards them. Veda felt Dutch tense a bit behind her, the last time she had seen him tense up in such a way was when Mr. Miyagi sought him out after picking her up from the hospital. It was the first time she ever saw Dutch look genuinely afraid and she found herself fighting the urge to crane her neck to relish in seeing it a second time.

“Take a shot at me, mustache, I dare you. I’ll slit her pretty little neck before you even take one more elderly step this way” Dutch said in a way that made Veda realize he was trying to sound more confident than he actually was. Larry’s threat was enough to make Dutch remove Lilith’s minatory blade from her neck, but he settled for clamping one of his rough clammy hands around her throat again firmly. Veda whimpered as Dutch planted another sickening kiss on Lilith’s fresh nick before slowly back walking her out of the building. Larry took several steps forward but stopped when Dutch tightened his hand around her neck hard enough to have Veda struggling to breath as she feebly tried to pry his wicked hand off her. If she got out of the way at least the security guard could get a clear shot at him, Dutch snarled in her ear gradually tightening his grasp around her throat as she flayed in his hold.

“Stop moving now or the old man gets it and we both know he’s no Mr. Miyagi don’t we doll face. You’re really forcing my hand here, my promise to not let Lilith have her way with you will now only be off the table if you lay down and take this cock the way you were made to. I may not have been the first to enter you, honey, but I’ll definitely be the last. Say your goodbyes to mustache here” Dutch taunted, only letting up on his hold on her throat when her face started to turn purple. Veda wheezed trying to get some air back in her burning lungs, she could vaguely feel Dutch roughly groping one of her breasts with his free hand as he dragged her away from the building.

“One step old man that’s all it’ll take. Tell your boss to come say his final goodbyes, huh.” Dutch cackled.

Veda felt the blood drain from her face as she gazed back at Larry with wide fearful eyes, any reaming fight she had left in her seemed to evaporate into thin air and she felt herself detach from her body for a moment. Everything there after felt like being stuck in one of her nightmares, unable to run or utter a single sound while Dutch is dragging her somewhere to rape and kill her for daring to not want him. None of the steps Dutch took down the long winding sidewalk felt real. Veda felt like she was looking down at herself from above as Dutch forced her into the Cadillac and took a moment to run his leachy hands all over her body. She knew he was being rough as he tried to feel her heat through her sheer tights, but Veda couldn’t quite feel what he was doing to her at the moment.

“Some one still doesn’t know how to obey I see” Dutch snarled, back handing her across her recently healed left cheek with enough force to make her head crash against the glove box. Veda snapped out of her episode with a wail, clutching her cheek in both pain and despair as Dutch slammed the Cadillac door shut and rounded to the driver’s side to start up the car. Veda watched a now blurry, group of people flood out of the Majestic Hollywood’s doors with multiple cries of her name the loudest cry emitting from a very frantic Terry Silver flying towards the car.  Veda sobbed staring at Terry longingly through the window as Dutch purposely revved the engine and let Terry approach the car with a sinister smirk plastered across his face.

“Take a good look, honey because this is the last time, you’ll ever see that rich pretty boy face of his. I can’t believe you let that giant inside that tight little pussy of yours, how loose are you now, huh” Dutch sneered, eyeing Terry’s strong build jealously as he pounded on the car window. Veda ignored him staring up at Terry with hopeful brown eyes, she could tell Terry heard what Dutch had said based on the intensity of his bangs on the window.

“Terry, help me” Veda sobbed, desperately trying to unlock her car door but had no success and settled for pounding her small fists against the glass that was keeping her from launching herself into Terry’s comforting arms. Veda ignored all of Dutch’s amused cackles from behind her as she pushed her face up against the glass sobbing uncontrollably. Terry’s eyes softened as the sound of police sirens added to the building tension.

“Hold on, baby girl. I don’t want to hurt you with the glass” Terry said, running his finger down the passenger window the same way he usually ran it down her cheek maintaining her gaze as Larry wordlessly smashed in the driver’s side window.

“I warned you son” Larry barked, smashing Dutch’s head against the steering wheel with a shocking amount of force. Dutch snarled throwing the car into drive and stepping on the accelerator, Veda yelped falling back into Dutch’s glass covered lap with a thud. Veda wailed as she heard Terry’s panicked screams and cries dying down with the sirens in the distance. Veda continued to sob with repeated panicked cries of Terry’s name pouring out of her mouth like rain falls from the sky during a summer thunderstorm.

“You really thought your fiancé was going to be your knight in shining armor didn’t you, why don’t you put that pretty little mouth to work while you’re down there, huh. Seen as how fucking you is going to feel like walking into a cave now” Dutch snarled, fisting her hair, and shoving her face into his glass riddled lap, she hissed in between sobs as she felt a shard of glass slice through her forehead. Dutch cackled darkly finally shoving her back into the passenger’s seat with a wicked smile on his face.

“Still not following directions I see. That’s alright, doll face, that’ll change real soon” Dutch said darkly, Veda glowered at him with a tear-stained face and a thick river of crimson streaming down her freshly re-bruised cheek. She bore into him with calculating eyes as he turned down too many streets and alleys for her to keep track of where they were or where they were going. Dutch met her gaze, chuckling darkly at the challenging eyebrow, she raised at him in the soft glow of the rapidly passing streetlamps.  Veda, but she didn’t let up on her harsh gaze because she could tell Dutch was getting uncomfortable, she watched him shift in his seat and focus his black eyes back on the road.

“Shit” Dutch hissed, shaking the glass from broken window off the arm of his nice little Gorgio Armani suit blazer, Veda couldn’t help the scowl that crossed her face at him having the audacity to wear a suit Terry could only wear, she wished she could rip it off his body. Veda really wished she could chew him out, but she knew that wouldn’t be a good idea with the present circumstances. She could still see Lilith’s iridescent handle peeking out of his right pocket, Veda wondered if she could swipe it without him noticing but to do that she’d have to get close to him and the thought of getting any closer to him than she was right now was absolutely revolting.

“Staring at me with those big brown puppy eyes won’t change what’s happening tonight, doll face. I’m taking what I’m owed even if your pussy is all used up now you’ve got another little hole I can use. Now drink this” Dutch taunted, holding up an already opened bottle of orange soda with a sinister smirk still plastered on his face. Veda gulped as he shoved the promised laced bottle of soda towards her with a wicked smirk plastered across his vile face, drinking this would definitely screw up any prospect of an escape plan. Veda shook her head scooting as far away from him and the debilitating concoction as she could. Dutch leered at her with dark eyes and the same wicked smirk spread across his face.

“You’re either going to drink some of it willingly or I’ll force the whole thing down your throat take your pick, honey. But the second option definitely ends with your pretty little body dead in a ditch” he said flatly, Veda held back tears as she reluctantly took the bottle from him with trembling hands, she brought it up to her lips but couldn’t bring herself to drink it. If she drank it Dutch could quite easily keep her drugged up and submissive to him for the rest of her life. That seemed to be what he was really aiming for he’d rather sentence her to a life of eternal suffering without Terry, than give her the mercy of being free from him whether it be dead or alive. If he by chance did let her get away the odds of remembering what he did to her tonight would be slim but he’d of still had his way with her by then and Veda couldn’t decide which one was worse.

“Should we see what Lilith thinks you should do” he barked, Veda whimpered taking a large gulp of the slightly salty soda with fresh tears streaming down her face. Dutch reached over to pet her hair with depraved hands in some mock attempt to soothe her as he urged her to take another gulp of the noxious drink before taking it calmly out of her trembling grasp. Veda glowered at him in the dim glow of the passing streetlamps. Lilith appeared to be her only hope of escape right now, it would be oddly poetic if she subdued him with the blade he bought in her honor.

“There you go, doll face, that wasn’t so bad was it. You’ll feel nice and relaxed in no time but there’s no reason I can’t have a little fun while we’re waiting, huh. I’ve got to see how much damage you’ve done to my little toy here before I can pick a fitting punishment” Dutch sneered, pawing at Veda’s sheer tights as he turned the car down a secluded park trail. Veda felt her stomach churn as Dutch put the car in park and killed the engine, his wild eyes glinted in the eerie glow of the lone streetlamp in front of the car, they observed the vacant park with a sickening hint of sinister glee. Veda could make out Dutch’s maroon Chevy Monte Carlo a little further down the trial, he had clearly been meticulously planning this out for quite a while. At least the car change presented Veda with a better opportunity to make a break for it if she did manage to slip Lilith from his wicked clutches, but she didn’t know how she was going to stomach what Dutch had planned to do to her until then. Once whatever poison he gave her finally kicked in, she was sure making her way by foot through the streets of Downtown Los Angeles was going to be difficult but any prospect of getting back to her sweet Terry was worth the hardship. Dutch’s wild eyes settled back on her in the form of a pervy, lecherous gaze that made her skin crawl. Dutch smirked, slowly pulling Lilith’s shimmery hilt out of his pocket and pushed her sliver button gently. Veda whimpered watching her long gleaming silver blade spring out with a soft click, spearing any hope Veda had of swiping her as she twirled in Dutch’s dark hands.

“Alright, honey, it’s time to assess the damage done to my property. Now, you can either lay on the back seat willingly or Lilith and I will give you a little push, what’s it gonna be, doll face.” Dutch purred fisting her black hair in one of his rough hands so he could bury his rotten nose in it, inhaling the scent like a depraved animal.

 “I’m still a virgin” Veda whimpered, hoping the confession would deter some of Dutch’s unadulterated wishes to ravish and destroy her for a moment but she instantly regretted it as Dutch’s lewd eyes roamed over her body with a newfound sickening desire to deflower her. Dutch loosened his hold on her black locks and run his hand down her bloody bruised cheek and shoulder petting her with a lascivious glint in his almost black eyes.

“Are you lying to me, doll face” Dutch purred in her ear, running a rough hand over her breasts with wild lecherous eyes that gleamed at her in the glow of the streetlamp the same way an animals eyes glint in the darkness. Veda shook her head still feeling incredibly nauseated as she forced herself to stare at him with innocent brown eyes.

“No” she said meekly, wishing she could pry his filthy hands off of her, but he was still clutching Lilith’s iridescent hilt in his left hand, and she already knew he wouldn’t hesitate to slice her with her sinister blade because he had done it before.

“I want to believe you, doll face, you know I don’t like hurting you. Let’s get you back there so I can inspect you and judge for myself, hmm” Dutch coaxed eerily, shrugging his blazer off his shoulders he laid it on the backseat, still playacting the role of the gentleman. Veda shuddered as he placed an imitation of a sweet kiss on her bruised cheek before clambering to the backseat. Dutch leered at her with dark eyes, beckoning her with Lilith’s glinting blade wordlessly gripping her soft flesh with rough hand. Veda had to hold back a sob as the harsh reality of the situation finally solidified in her mind it wouldn’t be long until the drugs finally sunk their teeth in her and she knew he wouldn’t be transferring her to his car unless she let him do this to her. So, Veda threw a shaky leg over the arm rest once again feeling herself detach from her body as Dutch forced her sit on the seat neck to him and planted another filthy sham of a tender kiss on her cheek with hungry brown eyes.

Veda sat unmoving as Dutch roughly captured her in a kiss when his odious chapped lips touched hers, she swore she felt a part of her die. Veda kept her eyes wide open and didn’t move her head as he assaulted her mouth because if she didn’t move it didn’t feel like kissing him back. Silent tears poured from her eyes as she thought of Terry and all the soft tender kisses, he gave her. He would never kiss her this aggressively, he would never touch her like this, he would never treat her like this. Dutch broke the vile kiss with a devilish smile on his face, he trailed a sham of a tender finger down her bloody and bruised cheek like he hadn’t been the one who put them there.

“Alright, time for me to see if lied to me, doll face. Ready?” Dutch purred, forcing her to lay on top of his blazer he eagerly slid a rough hand up the length of her legs and under her dress with Lilith’s blade still glinting at her menacingly. Veda let a sob escape her trembling lips, squirming uncomfortably her stomach churned as his predatory hand savagely shoved her cocktail dress up to her waist.

“No, please stop” Veda cried, her fight response seemed to finally kick in as she clawed the hand roaming over her stomach, aggressively. Dutch chortled darkly, watching her claw and kick at him with amused dark eyes before swopping in to hit her savagely across the face again. Veda hissed feeling blood start to flow from her right nostril and trail down the length of her cheek, she brought her knees up to her chest in an attempt to shield herself from his devious fingers. Dutch leered at her coiled form with dark sinister eyes as he tangled a rough hand in her black hair once more.

“This is a losing battle, honey. Straighten out now” Dutch hissed, forcefully prying her legs open with a sinister smile on his face. Veda sobbed still flailing her legs around in a desperate attempt to hinder his mission to deflower her in the backseat of Tommy’s dad’s Cadillac.

“Hold still now, or she’ll leave another stream on your pretty little thigh” Dutch taunted, pressing the glinting blade into the thin fabric of her sheer tights slashing through them in one sweep before giving her lacy panties the same vicious treatment. The only sounds filling the car were Veda’s desperate sobs, whimpers and protests as Dutch leered at the folds she had only reserved for Terry’s loving eyes.  Dutch looked up at her with a wolfish grin, pressing the blade into the delicate flesh of her toned stomach as a sinister reminder not to fight. He ignored her sobs and squirms, ravishing and violating her heat with rough tugs, pulls, stretches, and repeated painful dips into her taut dry nonconsenting entrance. Veda whimpered, struggling against him with hot tears rolling down her cheeks and soft cries of pain escaping her lips, her obvious discontentment with his rough molestation only seemed to spur him on.

“You didn’t lie to me, doll face and for that I’m going to give you a little reward before we really get started” Dutch said, roughly using a finger to toy with her puckered anus before trailing his filthy tongue from her clit to her still taut entrance. Veda trembled, still sobbing uncontrollably as Dutch let out a depraved moan and he forced three aggressive fingers inside of her nonconsenting entrance. Veda let out an agonized wail as he painfully pumped his burning fingers inside of her, it never hurt like this when Terry touched her. Veda feebly tried lurching away from him, but Dutch dug the blade into the flesh of her stomach in warning.

“Please, stop, you’re hurting me” Veda pleaded between dry heaves as she desperately tried to clamp her thighs together. Dutch rolled his dark eyes at her in his true crude form.

“Relax, doll face, just relax. You’re fine” he said indifferently, placing his filthy tongue back on her clit once more. Veda sobbed softly as he repeatedly pumped his harsh fingers inside of her, painfully stretching her out in a way Terry would never. Veda wasn’t sure what came over her, but she found the strength to tangle her fingers in Dutch’s grotesque bleach blonde hair and grip Lilith’s conniving blade in her other hand. She didn’t care that she could have severed a finger as she tore the wicked blade from his retched hand and ripped a golf ball sized chunk of hair from his vile head. The same way he came raging into her perfect little world like a tornado to rip her apart, to rip her away from Terry, to uproot her life. Dutch snarled, lurching away from her and toppling onto the carpeted car floor with a soft thud as he silently seethed at her.

“Stay back” Veda cried, her body still trembling as she held the long blade in front of her ready to strike if she had to. Dutch let out an annoyed sigh as he bore into her with blackened brown eyes clutching his head with a slightly pained expression.

“Let me out, now” Veda said firmly, Dutch chuckled darkly surveying her with deeply amused eyes in the soft glow of the streetlamp. He looked deeply satisfied to see her crimson stream stain the hilt of the blade he brought here just for her.

“Not until you give me what I want, doll face. I see you want to do this the hard way, so, let’s do it the hard way” Dutch taunted, pouncing on her like a deranged hyena he tried to wrestle the blade out her hand as he fisted her dark hair. Veda screeched, fighting back against him with everything she had, flailing around on the backseat, slashing at him with the blade, and kicking at him like her depended on it.

“Give me that” he growled, twisting her arm behind her back he pried the iridescent hilt from her bloody fingers with a sicken smile. Veda hissed in pain with her bruised cheek pressed up against the leather seat, Dutch gave her arm another painful twist just for fun.

 “Look at what you did to your pretty little fingers now, honey” he taunted darkly, Dutch chuckled as he yanked her up by the hair boring into her with sinister eyes as he ran his tongue across the fresh cuts with a depraved moan. Veda felt her stomach churn disgust, trying to free herself from his vice as she felt his hard cock prod the small of her back. Dutch cocked his head at her with an amused glint in his eyes.

“Is that it now, doll. That GHB should be kicking in any second now and I still need to use one of these little holes of yours. After this ridiculous outburst of yours, you, and I both know which one it’s going to be now don’t we” he snarled, shoving her head back down against the car seat roughly. Veda felt the color drain from her face as Dutch roughly spread her legs apart and toyed with her taut anus once more, he dug a boney elbow into her back to keep her from lurching forward. Veda felt a long string of his disgusting spit drip onto her hole, but she couldn’t bring herself to do anything but cry hysterically, completely petrified as his tip pushed against her puckered hole.

“Shit” Dutch hissed, suddenly lifting his weight off of her as he clambered back up to the front seat. Veda let out a relieved sigh, but sobs still racked thorough her shaky body as she sat back up to see what had made him stop his assault so suddenly. Not that she wasn’t grateful to or for whatever it was that helped her hold onto her purity for a little longer. Veda could see the glow of red and blue flashing lights flood through the windows of the Cadillac and she felt her heart leap with a newfound hope. As she watched Dutch frantically gather everything from the front seat and dump the orange carbonated poison out the broken window like that was really going to make a difference if the cops found her beaten in his backseat. Veda repressed a scoff as she pulled her cocktail dress over her mangled tights and sore heat gingerly before looking for her devilish, yet very expensive black heels on the carpeted car floor. She found them awkwardly shoved under the passengers along with a sleek jet-black stun gun, Veda silently thanked a bazillion people before picking the gun up gingerly and shoving it in one of her heels discreetly.

“Don’t get too excited there, honey. We’re just moving to the other car” Dutch said cooly, but Veda could see a wild hint of panic in his crazed eyes before he unlocked the door.

“Do I need to repeat my directions from the elevator, or do you think you can actually manage this time” Dutch taunted, glaring down at her from the driver’s seat with seething eyes as if this whole situation was all her fault somehow. Veda resisted the urge to snap at him just yet as she innocently nodded her head and batted her eyelashes at him, she could playact the role of the innocent maiden better than he could playact the role of a gentleman. Dutch gazed at her suspiciously for a moment.

“If you try to run, you’re dead, understand. You come out this door and you wait for me to get out first” he said roughly, pointing to the back passenger’s door on the driver’s side with wild eyes. Veda nodded again gripping the handle, she at least tried not to look too eager as she saw all the patrols going up and down the main street slowly. Dutch threw his door open and quickly scrambled out onto the park trail, his wild eyes were still glued on the patrol.

“Come on, hurry up” Dutch hissed impatiently, looking around the park anxiously. Veda pointedly took her sweet time opening up the door and she had to repress a smirk as she finally stepped out onto the slightly wet pavement because seeing him be the one suffering for once was deeply gratifying. Veda closed the car door gently, feeling the water on the ground seep through the soles of her tattered tights as she stood observing their surroundings for a moment. She was relieved to see they were somewhere in Downtown LA; she settled her eyes on Dutch’s still unmoving form as one of the patrol cars came to a halt across the street.

“Let’s go, now” Dutch said, giving her a harsh shove towards his Chevy Monte Carlo with a crazed look in his eyes as the patrol car turned on its harsh spotlight. Veda gripped the stun gun in her bloody hand but let Dutch pull her along for a bit, patiently waiting for the right time to strike. Veda slowed her steps a bit as they neared the Chevy, trying to pinpoint what the best exit route would be she doubted Dutch would follow her towards the patrols, but she knew he'd do whatever it took to keep her from getting there. Dutch unlocked the car door, frantically throwing the stuff in his hand on the backseat. Veda decided she really had nothing else to lose, she took advantage of his mild distraction and hurriedly veered off towards the park still gripping the gun and her heels in her small hands firmly as she neared the concrete steps. Veda jumped, feeling her adrenaline surge through her veins in anticipation when Dutch slammed the car door shut behind her with an ominous thud.

“Hey!” Dutch barked; she could hear him flying after her with a shocking amount of speed, his heavy footsteps reverberated off the cool concrete in eerie thumps like a baleful melody. Veda bounded down the first flight of concrete stairs as fast as her aching legs would carry, she was hoping to at least make it to the clearing so at least one of the patrol cars would see them if she wasn’t able to successfully subdue him. Veda’s frantic pitter-patters on the cool concrete were suspended when she felt Dutch seize her upper arm with a vicious hand, impelling her back into his barbarous clutches with a deranged snarl.

“You little bitch, what the hell did I just say” Dutch seethed clasping her throat with deranged wild eyes until she was gasping for air. Veda could tell by the determined look in his dark eyes he had every intention to strangle her and leave her for dead right under the cop’s noses and she wasn’t about to let it happen. Veda threw her expensive heels to the ground and aggressively imbedded the stun guns cobra like prongs into the flesh of Dutch’s strangling arm, pushing the button more times than necessary. Dutch let out a pained growl, recoiling his murderous hand from her neck immediately, stumbling back on to the cool pavement with a thud. Veda wished she could take a minute to relish in his just karma but knew Dutch wouldn’t take long to recover from the blow so, she bolted towards the second flight of steps in determination. She wasn’t going to die tonight and certainly not at Dutch’s hand, she was going to get out of here, she was going to get back to Terry because she had to.

“Where do you think you’re going, huh. I told you, if you’re not going to be happy with me, you’re not going to be happy with anyone.” Dutch snarled after his quick recovery, he flew towards Veda like a rabid animal, resolving to give her a violent shove down the second flight of concrete stairs. Veda yelped in both surprise and fear, she instinctively stuck out her left arm to brace herself as she went flying and landed on the cool harsh pavement with a loud thud, a sickening crack, and a loud pop. Veda let out her second Banshee shriek of the night coiling into herself on the damp ground as an excruciating, searing pain radiated through her entire arm.

“Aw, honey did you hurt yourself again?” Dutch taunted, strutting down the flight of stairs nonchalantly so he could watch her thrashing on the ground in agony up close. Veda clutched her mangled left arm with fresh tears streaming down her battered face for the hundredth time tonight. She glared up at Dutch still shrieking like a wounded animal, Dutch leered down at her with a sinister smile reaching out to pet her hair with a mock look of pity in his dark eyes. Veda lurched away from him angrily, momentarily letting go of her mangled arm to snatch up the sleek stun gun that slid out of her grasp during her violent fall. She pounced on him viciously, Dutch laid under her dumbfounded as she hammered the guns cobra-like prongs into as many parts of his vile flesh as she could.

“You and Lilith might want to turn yourselves in before my fiancé finds you” Veda said breathlessly, she watched Dutch thrash around on the cool pavement for a moment with emotionless brown eyes. Veda thought she’d at least feel happy watching him suffer like this but now she just found herself longing to be with Terry. Veda shakily crawled off a still angry thrashing Dutch, cradling her throbbing mangled arm in her bloody hand she hobbled down the remaining concrete steps, phlegmatic and dazed. Veda could tell the GHB laced orange soda he gave her was finally starting to sink its poisonous teeth into her and she didn’t want to be anywhere near Dutch when it finally got her. Veda ignored all of Dutch’s raging profanities and insults, staggering through the lush green clearing too focused on getting back to Terry to acknowledge the police sirens and the arrest being made behind her.

“Dutch Howard, put your hands where I can see them, where’s Veda LaRusso, what did you do to her.”

Veda clutched her arm wandering into the LA night in a haze of confusion, paranoia, and hopeless longing.  In a maze of dancing buildings, dodging concerned good Samaritans and lecherous pervs she called out Terry’s name at everything she passed. Hoping he would magically appear before her and rescue her, she didn’t know where she was, but she knew she wanted him right now, she knew needed him right now. Veda cried out his name repeatedly as she threw a rock at a window and hobbled through its jagged frame, hoping who she was looking for was on the other side.