((Continues on from Jon and Vicki's installment of the Premiere. Contains references to adult situations.))
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Holding Jon's suit jacket warm about herself, Vicki hurried out of the Shanachie beside him, her slightly alarmed gaze darting back and forth through the shadows of the alley as they crossed from the theater to the waiting limo. It wasn't the driver holding the door open, it was one of Liv's hired security guards. Apparently either Liv or Mataya had decided to amp up security for the escape as well. Pulling Jon into the back of the limo with her, Vicki pressed up close beside him, wanting the momentary lurch back toward upset and fright to be washed away by his affectionate presence. She really didn't want to cry all over him, not tonight.
It was a short walk from the back door of the theater to the limo waiting at the end of the alley, and Jon tried to get Vicki there as quickly as possible, relieved to find one of the security guards Liv had hired waiting for them. Maybe it was simple paranoia, but he felt an involuntary shudder as they made their way down the alley, a strange feeling that they were being watched, though he saw no one around. He only breathed a sigh of relief once they were both safely inside the limo and pulling away from the theater toward the hotel where Liv had made reservations for the evening.
It galled him that they had to rely on security at all. He'd never had to before, not on Rhy'Din anyway. He was still wearing the Granger ring Caroline had handed out to each and every family member, and he never left home without the magic coins, but he'd stopped carrying a handgun upon their return to Rhy'Din, believing them safe.
Tucked against him, Vicki visibly relaxed the further they travelled from the theater, though her sense told her that she wouldn't really be safe until they were behind locked doors together. "God, I feel like such a wuss," she groaned with self-derision. "It was such a little incident, and I'm a wreck!"
"Vic," Jon started, frowning, unsure whether he should tell her what he suspected or not, but he'd never lied to her before, and he wasn't about to start now. She deserved to know what he suspected. "I don't think it was a random incident." He paused to let that sink in, to see what her reaction would be before he continued.
She stiffened, her eyes opening to stare up at the roof of the limo with frozen awareness. "I didn't want to put two and two together," she said quietly, a muscle in her jawline twitching as she struggled to stay composed, torn between fury and further upset. "You think it's the girl who sent that message on Earth, don't you?"
"I don't know, but..." He really didn't want to connect the dots or think worse case scenarios, but they couldn't afford to overlook the possibility as their lives might depend on it. "I was shot on Rhy'Din. If it's the same girl, it's not out of the question to think she might have followed us to Earth and back." He turned his head to glance out the window at the passing scenery, not really seeing it, wishing he could remember her face, remember what she looked like, remember what had happened so that he could prevent it from happening again. He tried and failed to stifle a shudder, remembering waking up in a hospital bed, not even remembering his own name. "We should talk to the Watch," he admitted, grimly. The next time - if there was a next time - he or Vicki might not be so lucky.
"Tomorrow." Vicki twisted to face him, drawing his gaze back to hers, showing off the frightened sheen of threatened tears in her haunted blue eyes. She didn't want to let the fright get control of her, but if they lingered too much on what had happened, she knew she was going to break down. "Please, Jon, I don't want to talk about this any more tonight. I just want it to go away."
Jon turned back to her, seeing the hint of fear in her eyes, the tears threatening, and he knew it wasn't just the pregnancy. For the first time in a long time - ever since he'd been shot - she looked really and truly frightened. Jon wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close against his chest, his voice soft and soothing, reassuring, "No, not tonight. Tonight is for us. Tomorrow. We'll worry about it tomorrow."
She pressed close into him, hiding her face in his chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart as the firm, strong wrap of his arms held her close, holding back the monsters and dangers that lurked in the darkness waiting to snap and bite at her. It felt silly, to be so frightened by one little event, but there had been such hatred in the eyes that had fixed on her, so much malevolence. Vicki had never been hated before. She didn't know how to deal with it.
The remainder of the drive to the hotel was quiet and uneventful, Vicki wrapped up in Jon's arms, while both of them were lost in their own private thoughts. Jon's mind, too, was whirling around this most recent threat, and the more he thought about it, the more convinced he became that it was connected to the threat back on Earth and before that, to the shooting, though he had no way of knowing for sure until they talked to the Watch. If the description Vicki gave of the woman in the crowd matched that of the one Correy had given the Watch, then that was proof enough for Jon. Maybe then, something could be done about it. His mind drifted to Gigi or maybe to Lei, but this didn't seem to be the kind of thing he should get either of them involved in. He knew if he asked, Gigi would help, but he wasn't so sure about Lei. Psychotic stalkers didn't quite seem her thing.
The hotel Liv had booked them into for the night was tucked away in one of the quieter districts of the city, far away from the rabid crowd gathered outside the theater and the hopefuls who were waiting outside the Imperial Grand just in case. Vicki drew herself out of her thoughts as the limo pulled up outside the little hotel, drawing in a sharp breath as she sat back, forcing herself to smile once again. "We're here, love." And hopefully no one else was going to disturb them tonight.
Jon had to admit that hiring Liv as his P.A. was quite possibly one of the smartest moves he'd ever made. It made his life so much easier. He didn't have to worry about all the little tiny details that came with being a celebrity. That was Liv's job. She was worth her weight in gold, and Jon knew it. Booking them into a quiet, out of the way hotel was just what the doctor ordered, a refuge from the insanity that had been the premiere. Though he enjoyed the grandeur of the Imperial, it was all too obvious a choice for a movie star, and Liv knew it. Jon pulled himself out of his thoughts when the limo came to a halt and Vicki announced their arrival. He loosened his hold on her and glanced out the window at the little hotel Liv had booked them into for the night. Everything seemed peacefully quiet, just the way they liked it. Perfect. "Remind me to give Liv a raise."
Vicki laughed softly, glad that Jon's ever-efficient P.A. had already booked them in with suitcases earlier in the day so all they had to do was collect the key and go straight up. "You say that every other day," she reminded her husband fondly. "And I'm fairly sure she wouldn't let you give her a raise anyway. She's still just a little bit bowled over by your insistence on giving her the condo while she's under your employ." Her smile this time was more genuine as the talk took her away from her darker thoughts, sitting up as the security man came around to open up the curb-side door for them.
Holding Jon's suit jacket warm about herself, Vicki hurried out of the Shanachie beside him, her slightly alarmed gaze darting back and forth through the shadows of the alley as they crossed from the theater to the waiting limo. It wasn't the driver holding the door open, it was one of Liv's hired security guards. Apparently either Liv or Mataya had decided to amp up security for the escape as well. Pulling Jon into the back of the limo with her, Vicki pressed up close beside him, wanting the momentary lurch back toward upset and fright to be washed away by his affectionate presence. She really didn't want to cry all over him, not tonight.
It was a short walk from the back door of the theater to the limo waiting at the end of the alley, and Jon tried to get Vicki there as quickly as possible, relieved to find one of the security guards Liv had hired waiting for them. Maybe it was simple paranoia, but he felt an involuntary shudder as they made their way down the alley, a strange feeling that they were being watched, though he saw no one around. He only breathed a sigh of relief once they were both safely inside the limo and pulling away from the theater toward the hotel where Liv had made reservations for the evening.
It galled him that they had to rely on security at all. He'd never had to before, not on Rhy'Din anyway. He was still wearing the Granger ring Caroline had handed out to each and every family member, and he never left home without the magic coins, but he'd stopped carrying a handgun upon their return to Rhy'Din, believing them safe.
Tucked against him, Vicki visibly relaxed the further they travelled from the theater, though her sense told her that she wouldn't really be safe until they were behind locked doors together. "God, I feel like such a wuss," she groaned with self-derision. "It was such a little incident, and I'm a wreck!"
"Vic," Jon started, frowning, unsure whether he should tell her what he suspected or not, but he'd never lied to her before, and he wasn't about to start now. She deserved to know what he suspected. "I don't think it was a random incident." He paused to let that sink in, to see what her reaction would be before he continued.
She stiffened, her eyes opening to stare up at the roof of the limo with frozen awareness. "I didn't want to put two and two together," she said quietly, a muscle in her jawline twitching as she struggled to stay composed, torn between fury and further upset. "You think it's the girl who sent that message on Earth, don't you?"
"I don't know, but..." He really didn't want to connect the dots or think worse case scenarios, but they couldn't afford to overlook the possibility as their lives might depend on it. "I was shot on Rhy'Din. If it's the same girl, it's not out of the question to think she might have followed us to Earth and back." He turned his head to glance out the window at the passing scenery, not really seeing it, wishing he could remember her face, remember what she looked like, remember what had happened so that he could prevent it from happening again. He tried and failed to stifle a shudder, remembering waking up in a hospital bed, not even remembering his own name. "We should talk to the Watch," he admitted, grimly. The next time - if there was a next time - he or Vicki might not be so lucky.
"Tomorrow." Vicki twisted to face him, drawing his gaze back to hers, showing off the frightened sheen of threatened tears in her haunted blue eyes. She didn't want to let the fright get control of her, but if they lingered too much on what had happened, she knew she was going to break down. "Please, Jon, I don't want to talk about this any more tonight. I just want it to go away."
Jon turned back to her, seeing the hint of fear in her eyes, the tears threatening, and he knew it wasn't just the pregnancy. For the first time in a long time - ever since he'd been shot - she looked really and truly frightened. Jon wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close against his chest, his voice soft and soothing, reassuring, "No, not tonight. Tonight is for us. Tomorrow. We'll worry about it tomorrow."
She pressed close into him, hiding her face in his chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart as the firm, strong wrap of his arms held her close, holding back the monsters and dangers that lurked in the darkness waiting to snap and bite at her. It felt silly, to be so frightened by one little event, but there had been such hatred in the eyes that had fixed on her, so much malevolence. Vicki had never been hated before. She didn't know how to deal with it.
The remainder of the drive to the hotel was quiet and uneventful, Vicki wrapped up in Jon's arms, while both of them were lost in their own private thoughts. Jon's mind, too, was whirling around this most recent threat, and the more he thought about it, the more convinced he became that it was connected to the threat back on Earth and before that, to the shooting, though he had no way of knowing for sure until they talked to the Watch. If the description Vicki gave of the woman in the crowd matched that of the one Correy had given the Watch, then that was proof enough for Jon. Maybe then, something could be done about it. His mind drifted to Gigi or maybe to Lei, but this didn't seem to be the kind of thing he should get either of them involved in. He knew if he asked, Gigi would help, but he wasn't so sure about Lei. Psychotic stalkers didn't quite seem her thing.
The hotel Liv had booked them into for the night was tucked away in one of the quieter districts of the city, far away from the rabid crowd gathered outside the theater and the hopefuls who were waiting outside the Imperial Grand just in case. Vicki drew herself out of her thoughts as the limo pulled up outside the little hotel, drawing in a sharp breath as she sat back, forcing herself to smile once again. "We're here, love." And hopefully no one else was going to disturb them tonight.
Jon had to admit that hiring Liv as his P.A. was quite possibly one of the smartest moves he'd ever made. It made his life so much easier. He didn't have to worry about all the little tiny details that came with being a celebrity. That was Liv's job. She was worth her weight in gold, and Jon knew it. Booking them into a quiet, out of the way hotel was just what the doctor ordered, a refuge from the insanity that had been the premiere. Though he enjoyed the grandeur of the Imperial, it was all too obvious a choice for a movie star, and Liv knew it. Jon pulled himself out of his thoughts when the limo came to a halt and Vicki announced their arrival. He loosened his hold on her and glanced out the window at the little hotel Liv had booked them into for the night. Everything seemed peacefully quiet, just the way they liked it. Perfect. "Remind me to give Liv a raise."
Vicki laughed softly, glad that Jon's ever-efficient P.A. had already booked them in with suitcases earlier in the day so all they had to do was collect the key and go straight up. "You say that every other day," she reminded her husband fondly. "And I'm fairly sure she wouldn't let you give her a raise anyway. She's still just a little bit bowled over by your insistence on giving her the condo while she's under your employ." Her smile this time was more genuine as the talk took her away from her darker thoughts, sitting up as the security man came around to open up the curb-side door for them.