Tori bit her lip as she gazed at Jade, the fact that her girlfriend was naked not registering until a moment later. "Um, Jade? Do you maybe want to get dressed and then we can talk?" Jade scowled at her, uncrossing her arms, and Tori couldn't help but let her eyes roam around her uncovered body. No matter how many times she saw Jade naked, she'd never quite get over how beautiful she was, how pale and flawfree she really seemed to be.

"Fine, I'm covered," Jade muttered, having pulled on her discarded underwear and bra before sitting on the edge of the bed and fixing Tori with an expectant glare. There was no way Tori was getting out of this and she knew it, so she took her time pacing the room, gathering her thoughts and trying to figure out the best way to break the news to Jade. She didn't even know what she wanted to do yet – although she definitely knew where she was leaning – and it had all been thrown at her so fast, and she just wanted to enjoy what time she had with Jade.

Steepling her fingers together, she turned on her heel to face Jade, who was sitting back on her hands, her legs crossed. Tori very nearly swallowed her words at the dark haired girl's positioning, but powered on. "Reese was just telling me that Oliver is dropping out of production as soon as the six month mark is up. Once Oliver drops out we'll either have to rewrite the ending so that we can fit it around him leaving or we can shoot it quickly before he leaves, or we can scrap the movie altogether and reshoot it with a new lead male."

Jade wasn't stupid, and Tori could see her easily fitting together the pieces in her head. When she spoke, her voice was carefully devoid of emotion. "And if they reshoot the movie they want you to stay on for as long as it takes." As fine as Jade sounded, she was a total emotional wreck on the inside right then. She was supposed to get Tori back in just a couple of months after she had been gone for half a year, and now she might be gone for even longer? She wasn't going to stand in the way of her career, not when this could be her big break, but she hated the fact that they would be spending so much time apart. It made her wonder whether or not they were going to be able to handle the distance another time. It made her wonder if Tori would be able to handle being tied down to a girlfriend back home who had nothing going on for her while she was on her way to becoming a big time movie star.

Jade was not in the habit of feeling sorry for herself. She was Jadelyn Fucking West, and she did not feel sorry for anyone, least of all herself, so she was not going to confuse presenting facts with wallowing around in pity for herself because her girlfriend was going to be gone for another few months. Or so she tried to convince herself as she watched Tori advance towards her and sit beside her, drawing her long legs up underneath her.

"Yeah." Tori's voice was soft, subdued, and she took Jade's hand. It took all of Jade's willpower not to rip her hand away and accuse Tori of leaving her behind, to let her jealousy get the better of her, because the logical side of her brain knew that wasn't what was happening. This was what she had had to fight with when Tori had been offered the job the first time around: she needed to go with what was better for Tori, not what was better for her in the long run. Sure, it might hurt like hell, but she loved Tori, and she wanted Tori to be happy.

"Alright."

"Alright?" Tori looked surprised, like she expected more of a fight.

Jade shrugged. "Alright."

Tori's expression morphed into wary now, and she shifted on the bed, letting go of Jade's hand and cupping her face instead. "Jade, you can tell me if it bothers you, alright? I don't – I don't know what I'm doing yet. I don't know if I want to be gone for another six or seven months. I didn't even like it the first time around," she admitted. "I hated being away from home, away from you guys."

"That's how a lot of movies go, Vega," Jade reminded her, slightly horrified to catch herself leaning into Tori's touch. She really was turning into a ridiculous sap where Tori was involved.

"I know, and I know I'll have to learn to deal with it, but for now? For now I think I might want to go home." Tori's eyes were downcast, and she placed her hand back in her lap. Jade was silent for a long moment, having an inner battle. On the one hand, the idea of having Tori back at home was making her leap for joy, but on the other hand, the idea of Tori giving up such a great career prospect was making her feel incredibly ill at ease. Finally, she sighed.

"Whatever you want to do you know we'll all support you."

Tori gave her a weak smile. "I know."

x x x

"Damn. That's bleak, girl," Andre commented over sandwiches a few hours later.

"I know. I told her we'd support whatever decision she made, but who knows what she'll end up doing in the end." Jade took a sip of her soda and made a face at the carbonation. Tori had to go film a few scenes and so the rest of them were left to wander Boston again. They had decided to grab lunch, and Jade was surprised to see Robbie lean over to whisper something in Cat's ear and to see Cat turn red and giggle in response. She looked over to Beck, raised an eyebrow, and beckoned him over to her with a crook of her finger. He glanced over at Andre and then ducked his head close to Jade's.

"Yeah?"

"What's going on with Robbie and Cat?"

"Oh, right, you were too busy going at it with Tori all night long to know what was going on last night. Alright. Hang on." Beck stood up, pushing his chair back under the table. "Hey, guys, we're gonna go outside for a sec. Jade needs relationship advice." Jade rolled her eyes.

"Do not!"

Beck walked through the door, holding it open for Jade and then an elderly couple, and Jade waited around the corner for him. "Alright, spill it, Oliver."

Beck grinned at her, pushing his hair out of his face. "Okay, so Robbie's had a crush on Cat since forever, and Cat's been seeing Robbie as something more than a friend for maybe a month or so, I'm not sure on that. Anyhow, last night, Andre and I were out with these two girls we met in the park and Robbie and Cat were in the hotel room. I guess one thing led to another and - "

Jade held up a hand right in Beck's face. "If you tell me that Robbie and Cat had sex, I swear to God I will walk in there and cut his dick off and force feed it to him," she threatened. Sure, she treated Cat like a pet most of the time, and Cat was one of the most annoying people on the planet, but Cat was her best friend (if she had one, that is) and she needed someone to take care of her when the time called for it. Jade took it upon herself a long time ago to be that person.

Beck made a disgusted noise. "I hope they didn't. No, according to Rob they just kissed and now they're dating."

"I can deal with that. I'll still cut his junk off if he touches her anywhere else, though." Jade bit her nail, staring off down the street as her thoughts once again turned to Tori. She couldn't help but let her current crisis take precedence in her mind over everything else, even Cat and Robbie getting together. Beck waved a hand in front of her face.

"Man, you really are worried, aren't you? Look, Jade, it'll all work out in the end. I mean, yeah, maybe you'll spend more time apart than you originally thought you would, but you'll get through it."

Jade turned her blue eyes from the pavement up to Beck, a flicker of uncertainty running through them. He and Tori were the only ones allowed to see her like this, ever. "Beck, what if I'm just dragging her down? What if I'm just this anchor tying her down to Hollywood? I mean, she's going to go on and do great things, that much is obvious, but I'm struggling to do anything. I mean, you're getting called back for parts all the time, Andre has his music, Robbie is – well, he's Robbie, and Cat can act, sing, and dance. I mean, I can act, sing, write, whatever, but I don't know if I'm good enough to really break out in any field. Tori, though, she's got it made. I mean, eighteen and already starring as a lead in a Hollywood film? Beck, she doesn't need me holding her back from anything."

Beck stayed silent throughout the entire thing, just processing. "Jade, do you honestly think that?" She nodded, although she wouldn't make eye contact with him this time. "Personally, I think you're wrong. I think she waited long enough to get you as her girlfriend and that she already went six months here and you two are still together, and that she wouldn't dump you because of something as fickle as being famous. It's Tori. I've never met someone as down-to-earth as her. But I guess if you're really that worried this is a conversation you should have with Tori."

"Tori wouldn't understand, Beck. You know that."

Beck regarded Jade with some concern in his eyes. "Promise me you won't do anything stupid like break up with her because you think it's what's best for her, alright?"

"Yeah. Promise." Jade's voice was monotone, and she was biting her nail again.

Beck wasn't reassured at all.

x x x

Tori had been tossing the idea around in her head all day and by the end of filming for the day she deciding to approach Reese. The director was looking over some of the raw footage with his assistant when she walked up to him. "Reese?"

He glanced up at her, smiling. "Tori! Great job today. What can I do for you?"

She took a deep breath. "Reese, I've decided what I want to do. Is there any way that we can do a rush rewrite of the ending? Because I don't think I'll be coming back either, if it's possible."

Reese frowned at her, his full attention on the situation at hand. He hated the idea of both of his lead actors dropping out of his project, but he also hated the idea of ruining the ending of the script he had spent years perfecting. "Tori, are you sure that if we had to reshoot we couldn't persuade you to stay? It's only another six months. Less, in fact, since we wouldn't have to shoot any of your solo scenes, and the actor playing Ian has very few scenes without you since you carry the movie on your back. It'd be three months for you, tops."

Tori had to admit, it sounded great. That was half the time she had been away this time, but it was still time away from home that she didn't know if she wanted. She thought about her family, her friends, Jade. She especially thought about Jade, and about Jade's words that she had given her the first time Tori had been hesitant about taking this job.

"Alright, Reese. If you find another actor, I'll do it."