NEW YORK, NEW YORK: THREE MONTHS LATER
Cora dropped the small device that she had been holding onto the opposite side of her mattress, a satisfied smirk spread widely across her lips. The lawyer sat there, very nearly staring at the wall in front of her as she thought back to the conversation that she had ended just mere moments ago.
That had been a phone call that the woman had been looking forward to for months. It was the phone call that had linked her to her daughter and the teacher's standing within the school.
"What has got you smiling?" A crisp, English accent brought Cora's attention to her bedroom's doorway to spot her auburn haired daughter.
Instead of the normal bite that she would usually snap at her eldest daughter, the brunette lawyer remained with that same smirk on her face as she shifted on the bed, dropping the leg that had been under her onto the floor when she moved to stand.
"I just got off the phone with a man that I had been waiting to hear from for months."
"Did you finally land yourself a date, Mother?" Jisoo smirked, humoring herself as she glided the distance between the two of them. Cora shook her head, the lilt of her lips suddenly disappearing into a scowl.
"That was Gold, the principal of the high school that your sister works at." Her arms crossed tightly over the white blouse, her crimson lips pursing.
"Of course," the redhead sobered quickly with a nod. "What did he say? Did he inform you of her standing? Did she finally make a move on the game board?"
"Yes. Yes she did." Cora chuckled delightfully, hands coming together as she rocked on the balls of her feet. "It seems that our darling Lisa has decided to finally pick a side."
"She saved herself." Jisoo muttered coldly, a look of distaste crossing her features. "Are you disappointed in her for choosing... that girl?"
"I already knew that she had chosen the girl over me before I left. It was all inevitable the moment that she had suggested I give that brunette a chance. I only humored her on the subject and formulated the plan that I had told you at Granny's that day." The lawyer smiled, almost proudly as she recollected back on her doings.
Jisoo nodded, but didn't seemed to be too terribly pleased with the news. One of her brows quirked as if she didn't quite understand what her mother was getting at. She was still rather confused as to what her mother was planning with this whole thing and she even voiced her thoughts, then, inquiring: "What are you benefitting from this? Your daughter hates you and she is losing her job, but her woman lover is still there. Isn't what you wanted was for the two of them to part? What is any of this doing?"
It was then that Cora faltered, and Jisoo had noticed it. Then a slow smirk spread across the woman's face. Her mother hadn't thought it through, apparently. Whatever initial plan she had, turned into something twisted. Something completely indiscernible than what it had originally been played to be. The road was no longer clear and she had definitely veered straight off the path.
And landed somewhere halfway to Jupiter.
Jisoo knew that Cora had no intentions of Lisa losing her job, nor resigning from it either. She only wanted to use it as a mere threat to scare her youngest daughter away from Jennie, but that hadn't worked out so well in the end. Cora had realized that her daughter didn't have simple, lust-driven feelings for the brunette student that would be easily canceled out if her job were at stake.
No.
What she had was far deeper than she had ever thought possible. The initial thoughts of her daughter's sexual orientation had been twisted into something like that of her plan. It was becoming fuzzy; unable to be clearly read on the dampened pages of the book she somehow had tossed into the toilet from her last visit.
Lisa was in love with this Jennie, and whatever this love was, was a hell of a lot more solid than she could have ever dreamed possible. That brunette would sooner find herself in a penitentiary than be split from the partner that she had become so fond of.
But it was those feelings that her daughter held for that young woman that had Cora absolutely terrified- and giving second thoughts to the teacher's lifestyle.
Though Cora wasn't about to falter so easily. She couldn't weaken her views, there was no way in hell. She had spent so long fighting for her daughter, trying to fix that woman and make her normal.
Jisoo's words, though, had gotten to her. She stood there, staring at her daughter as she soon realized what exactly she had done and the reality of it. She had made no progress whatsoever with her daughter. She only made it easier for her.
Lisa was already planning on quitting her job to move to Boston with her young lover, Cora knew that much. She was only making things easier for the English teacher. The plan that she had become so fond of only seemed to backfire on her, and Gold's latest phone call had only pressed the shrapnel harder against her face.
She had to think of another plan, and fast. She would have to double her thoughts and take a flight to Boston to catch up with her daughter in a last ditch effort before her "disease" got to her.
Cora wouldn't be able to rest peacefully so long as her daughter was dating Jennie- that goddamn girl that had seemed to grab Lisa's heart and squeeze more love out of it than the lawyer had ever been given in her lifetime.
Something bubbled within Cora at that thought, though she quickly quenched it. No. She wasn't going to allow that teenager to get to her. She needed to get that little girl away from her precious daughter- even if that meant killing and destroying the thing her daughter loved most.
Lisa would surely need her after that.
"I have a plan, Jisoo, do not mock me." Cora turned molten eyes on her eldest daughter. "But I need you to help me."
"Haven't I already been helping?" Jisoo's brows rose, a twinkle sparkling in her eye.
"Yes, you have indeed. But I need you more... directly this time." There was no hesitance in her voice as she flashed those cold eyes on Jisoo, not a lick of sympathy on her face. "Our dear Lisa has slid her pawn across the board, now it is our turn to move the next piece. Hear me out, and pay close attention, because if you screw even a detail of this up, you can kiss the chances of getting your hands on my firm goodbye."
That had her eldest daughter's head bobbing, full attention set on the shorter woman as sharp, pale eyes met with sardonic, dark ones, the latter speaking of her newest plan.
STORYBROOKE, MAINE: ONE WEEK EARLIER
"Lili?" Jennie's voice was nothing but a mere whisper in the darkness of the bedroom. The inquiry clung in the air, left unanswered as she dropped her messenger bag onto the floor beside the lavish bed.
"Are you awake?" She asked once again, though her tone had been so quiet she wasn't sure if Lisa would have been able to hear her from the position that she took. The brunette's back was facing her, she could make out the delicate contour of her lover's body.
Her breathing was steady, her side gently rising and falling with each breath. One arm was tucked under her head as the other disappeared in front of her. Her body was curled up on top of the blankets, almost as if she were trying to form into a ball.
It wasn't until Jennie was crawling onto the left side of the bed that she had realized where exactly the woman had been lying. Lisa had taken over the brunette's side of the bed, her face pressed against the younger woman's pillow as she slept, earning a sweet smile from the teenager.
Lisa must have missed the brunette while she was gone.
Jennie had been spending the weekend with her foster parents as she had often found herself doing. She had crammed in her time with the two over the past month since she was planning on leaving by the end of the school year- which was rearing up faster than ever now.
The thought of Lisa doing this because of Jennie's absence sent a pang of guilt washing over her. She absolutely hated being away from her girlfriend, but the two of them knew that she had other priorities in her life- though the brunette felt as if Lisa were her highest one.
Over the past three months, the two of them only grew closer together. They would be moving away from everyone and everything that they knew, sans Chanwoo, and would be living together in a larger city.
The thought was both exciting and terrifying. Neither one knew where their relationship was going to be by this year's end. What they were doing was rather drastic, especially since they might not be able to go back on what they were doing.
Or at least Lisa couldn't.
The woman was thinking about what her mother had told her before she left and had lamented to Jennie on several occasions about. They had discussed their options, though there were few. Lisa had already planned on quitting her job here in Storybrooke, but the question was about the job she was intending to acquire in Boston.
Would her mother try to threaten that job away from her also?
Surely the lawyer will have known about that as well, since she already had terrifying knowledge of Lisa's plan on moving to the bigger city.
But that was only another thing to add onto the rather large list of worrisome thoughts. Lisa had been thinking herself sick about everything, and so much that she had fallen into a state that even Jennie had never thought she'd see the woman in.
Even though the woman remained well-groomed and collects on the outside, she was unkempt and screaming on the inside. She was falling apart at the seams and the emotions taking over the teacher had terrified Jennie to every extent there was.
There was no doubt in Jennie's mind what Lisa had, and she felt greatly for her. She wished that she could help the older woman through this, and she had for the most part ever since Cora had left. But her having to leave every weekend wasn't helping the matter and she wondered if Lisa would ever feel normal again.
Of course, there were days where Lisa acted as if nothing had happened and she was all laughs and smiles. Jennie enjoyed those days, after the few that Lisa had disappeared and left an empty shell in her place. She missed her lover's beautiful, radiant smile and the twinkle in her eyes when she laid them upon the brunette.
Now she rarely wore a smile on those days, or at least it was empty when she gave it. Those mocha eyes were as dull as her hair was growing, losing the sleek and shiny appeal. Even though it was only striking a few days at a time, it was still taking its toll on the teacher.
Jennie, herself, was starting to feel much like Lisa, though she refrained from letting herself keep within the darkness overwhelming her for too long. She needed to be strong enough for the both of them until Cora's reign of horror was over with.
If that day would ever come.
The brunette let out a soft sigh, pushing away the sudden drought of emotion that washed over her. She wasn't going to allow herself to become victim of what had taken over Lisa. The feeling was something unpleasant and she absolutely hated it.
The last time she had felt like that were the Winter Formal and the weekend following.
But it was making up with Lisa that had pulled her from the murky depths and gave her a shining light to cling onto.
She only wished she could have done that for the older woman herself, but whatever she did, her attempts bore no fruit.
Jennie closed her eyes for a moment as she scooted towards Lisa's small frame, an arm curling around the woman's midsection, causing her to stir slightly. The younger woman only tightened her grip, reassuring the teacher that she was there when Lisa had begun to speak.
"I'm home, and I sure as hell am glad." Jennie whispered softly, burying her nose in the sweet scented raven locks before her. "I've missed you."
"Mmph, I've missed you, too." Lisa murmured, yawning softly as she turned into the brunette, facing her with those loving coffee eyes. "It's late."
"Yeah, I know..." The brunette lay her head on the pillow next to Lisa's, her voice apologetic. "Sunny and Seung-gi wanted to take me out to dinner. And then they kept me for a while, talking about graduation and plan to give me that Bug."
"Oh?" Another yawn tore itself from the woman's throat, causing the brunette to giggle softly before she, too, yawned in reaction. "What did they say?"
"They'll give it to me on graduation day. After the ceremony, you know?"
Lisa smiled lightly when Jennie had placed a gentle hand on her cheek, her face turning into it as she savored the contact. "That's rather nice of them."
Jennie absently nodded, the pad of her thumb making rhythmic strokes against the olive cheek below it. A smile curved her lips as she watched Lisa savor the touch, her eyes slightly closing while she nuzzled against the hand with a faint purr.
"Lili?"
"Yes, my swan?" Those sparkling brown eyes opened and Jennie realized that her lover wasn't in her haunting mood. She was happy today and that just made the brunette's heart soar.
"I love you..."
The smile that those words had earned could have exploded Jennie's heart. It was bright, radiating like a vat of sunshine. Then those lips were on the brunette's before she could gather her wits, moving against her pale ones in a slow, tender kiss.
Jennie made a soft noise as she returned the kiss, the palm of her hand flattening against Lisa's cheek until the latter pulled away with a breathless smile.
"I love you, too, Jennie." There was a pause as she pressed closer to Jennie, intimately, but not sexually, as if she were looking for comfort. "I love you more than anything, though that may not say a lot since I really have nothing much in my life... But I do value you more than I value my life and I would gladly give it up just for you."
"Lili..." Jennie frowned, her hand falling to the thigh wrapped around her own. "Don't say that. I'm not worth giving up your life for. You deserve to live."
"But not if that means you die, Jennie. You have your entire life ahead of you, I would hate to see it be wasted."
"That won't happen. Situations like that... Unlikely." The younger woman quickly shook her head, holding the woman in front of her even closer. She was scared of the thought of ever having to lose Lisa, especially to a force that could never be reversed.
The woman nodded slightly, snuggling into the brunette, her face getting lost in the long, golden mane.
"I'm glad that you're feeling better." Jennie found herself murmuring after a moment of silence. The limbs around her tightened, forcing the brunette to blink. Had she said something wrong?
"I have been feeling better for quite some time, Jennie. I just worry myself too much at times," the confirmation to her statement tided over her fears.
The younger woman smiled, pale fingers snaking into dark locks.
Lisa merely smiled, tugging that brunette in closer. "I've done some thinking, and you being here have helped quite a bit."
"Have I?" The brunette blinked, earning a slight nod.
"You always have, Jennie. You kept me from slipping into the shadowy depths of this godforsaken hell." The teacher shifted slightly until she was untangled from the brunette and on her back, staring absently up at the ceiling.
"I've got to thinking about how my attitude is affecting you. I... I've noticed that you haven't exactly been your upbeat self lately and you're constantly fretting over me. I cannot have that. I'm acting so..."
"You're depressed, Lisa." Jennie murmured softly, a frown claiming her lips. "You can't help it."
"But I need to, Jennie. I cannot live the rest of my life like this. I need to pull myself up and brush the dirt off." Lisa turned a haughty glare to her girlfriend, though the mood soon vanished into something of sorrow. Those mocha eyes melted, tears glistening in them.
The brunette swallowed thickly in the otherwise quiet room. Her voice was hoarse as she spoke her next words, her eyes sliding back towards the darkened ceiling. The dark void that seemed to swallow her up. "I know that you know how this feels, Jennie, and I only wish that you never had to feel such lowliness in your life. You shouldn't have to go through this at your age. It just isn't right."
"It's okay," Jennie murmured softly, her fingers gently skating across the teacher's bare arm.
Lisa immediately wrapped her arms tight around the brunette, seeking solace in golden locks. "You are my rock. And you're still here, even though you could have given up on me so long ago..."
"There's no way I would ever give up on you, Lisa. I'm here because I know exactly how you feel and I'm not one of those ignorant assholes that's gonna tell you to suck it up, there's tomorrow... yadda yadda bullshit. I'm glad that I can just be of use and help you through this." The woman's fingers fell into place once again, drawing tender circles along the brunette's back.
And for the first time in a long time, that very smile shown upon Lisa's face. A gentle, genuine smile broke across her plump lips. The one that Jennie had been waiting for, for so long.
Of course, Jennie had quite enjoyed the beaming smile that she was given earlier, but this one just took the cake. It was that one that Lisa gave her, trying to be oh so subtle every time she laid eyes upon the brunette. It was there.
"There it is. I've missed it." Jennie whispered, one hand moving to cup the older woman's face, her thumb brushing over that curve on her lips.
"I'm sorry that I haven't been happier for you, Jennie. I've been such a damned downer and that should change. I cannot put you through all this. You don't deserve it." Lisa whispered, a look of guilt crossing over her features.
"Hey... don't worry about that, huh? It's not like you can help it and I'm not some ignorant asshole that's gonna tell you to lighten the fuck up and get over it, like I had said."
"I wish it were just that easy..."
"Me too..." Jennie whispered, pale fingers sliding through raven locks once again.
Lisa's brows furrowed slightly, a moment of silence passing between them before she spoke once again with a hesitant tone. "When you are around, Jennie... my world doesn't appear to be so bleak. You are the single flame in the cave in which I had lost myself. You are ever aiding me to the ultimate goal, the brighter light... The exit to this hell. I... I can never cease to thank you enough for all that you have done for me, Jennie Kim."
"No. Don't do that, Lili." Jennie offered her a soft smile, her hand falling once again to rub circles against her back. "You know what you mean to me."
"There's something about you, my duck, and I thank whatever force had brought us together." She smiled and reached for the younger woman's hand.
"So do I." The brunette smiles softly, pressing a kiss to her lover's forehead.
"Just hold me, Jennie, and I will be fine." Lisa murmured softly and nuzzled closer.
"Of course, Lili." Jennie wrapped her arms tightly around Lisa as the older woman shifted, half her body on the brunette.
"I will tell Mr. Ryu tomorrow about my decision."
"Pardon?" Jennie blinked at the sudden declaration, eyes popping open to stare down at the brunette. Lisa merely nodded and gazed back up at her, a slight smile on her lips.
"The other part of my thoughts. Since I am feeling more... motivated, I have decided that I will speak with Mr. Ryu about my resigning. No matter what, I will have to do just that before we can leave for Boston." She elaborated, her head falling back against the brunette's breast. "I know that I should have done it sooner... it would have eased my mind about my mother beforehand. But..."
"Okay." Jennie murmured, her hand slipping underneath the back of the woman's silk tank.
"Okay." Lisa nodded slightly, shifting as the hairs on her body standing on end from the contact. "I only hope that it isn't too late."
"It won't be."
"I hope not." Lisa murmured softly, moving fitfully in her spot before settling with closed eyes.
ABOUT TWO WEEKS LATER
The sound of the doorbell echoed throughout the estate, interrupting both Lisa and Jennie as they sat on the couch in the sitting room, the latter's laptop perched on each's thigh while they planned out what they were going to do for the brunette's upcoming graduation.
That very graduation was a week away and the two of them had been 'planning' for it for the entire month of May. Lisa had suggested that they get it done with sooner rather than later so they would have an ease at mind and no troubles to run into when the time did come. Jennie, of course, didn't necessarily care what happened and never though much to planning. She figured she'd get her graduation attire and go down the aisle to snatch up her diploma and be done.
But apparently she had been dead wrong when the teacher insisted they needed to do much more than just that. Jennie grudgingly complied as Lisa sat her down to go over what she thought would be a fantastic plan.
And that plan consisted of nothing but boring talk that had the brunette snoozing.
Lisa had come up with a list of events that the school would be hosting for its seniors and all of the special days within the following week of graduation.
Jennie wouldn't have to go to classes so long as she attended one of the events that were to be hosted and Lisa had insisted quite adamantly that she make the best of it. The brunette, not entirely thrilled, had agreed only since Rosé and Hanbin were going as well.
And it also had helped that Lisa volunteered quite willingly to chaperone certain events.
Like the one planned out for the seniors tomorrow. It would allow for them to skip the day's classes.
Choose at least one to attend. Breakfast buffet at one of the local restaurants, a free field-day hosted at the school, or spend the afternoon at an amusement park in one of the surrounding towns.
Lisa had vouched to take Jennie to get breakfast, for she had paid for the tickets before she could even open her mouth to protest. Or before she had even broken the news to Jennie about the purchase.
Though, she had bribed the eighteen-year-old into taking her home and letting her sleep in. Lisa still had to go back to school for the remainder of the day, though, which had not been all too appealing to the brunette.
"I was only able to volunteer for one of the events." Lisa had said, frowning when Jennie started to whine about not being able to have her cuddly panda there with her. "You can use the non-Mr. Pervert that you gave to me for my birthday."
That would have sufficed to shut Jennie up about it for the rest of the day, though she was still not very pleased over the fact of having to get up in the morning, only to go back to bed without Lisa.
There hadn't been any more time to complain when Lisa shoved more plans down the brunette's throat, such as picking out a dress for the dance at the end of the year.
Jennie protested.
Lisa conquered.
She offered to dance with the brunette, and since school will have been over by then and Jennie fully graduated, it should be fine. And even if not entirely, Lisa didn't give any fucks whatsoever. She resigned. School was over. Jennie was no longer her student.
Besides, it could be taken as a joke for the teacher had seen other teachers dance with students just for the hell of it. Though, they had been to the distasteful, upbeat music that blared through the speakers.
Jennie quite enjoyed the thought of that. The brunette's mouth even watered as she tried to imagine her lover dancing once again with the seductive sway of her hips as she had for their makeshift dance during the winter.
And they were currently in the middle of browsing dresses for said event when the doorbell had rang and interrupted Jennie from pointing out a small, crimson number that she made a comment about wanting to see Lisa in, dancing that very dance.
The woman shot her young lover a negative look before setting the computer onto the coffee table so she could answer the door. Jennie was right behind her within seconds, scurrying close as the older woman made her way to the foyer.
"Jennie..." she whispered, shooing the brunette away. "We don't know who that is, unless you're expecting someone."
Jennie quickly shook her head, soon realizing exactly what she had been doing as the reality of their relationship came to her like it did so many times. The brunette hung back in the doorway to the sitting room as Lisa pulled open the front door, her expression that of surprise, but also distaste.
"Jisoo, what brings you here?" That had piqued the teenager's interest as she soon found herself beside Lisa, a brow quirked.
"Our mother. I would like to think you might appreciate the information that I bring to you." Jisoo took the liberty to see herself in, forcing her younger sister to step back.
Lisa's eyes narrowed, suspicion prickling the hairs on the back of her neck. "And what exactly do you have to tell me? I thought you had only talked with Cora once."
"About that..."
"Why the hell are you here? To spy on me for that woman?" The woman stood stark upright, glaring down through her nose at the auburn haired woman before her. "I should have known you had been associating with her the moment that you entered my house. All of that information? She wouldn't have told you that within just one day."
"That is why I am here. I want to explain myself to you. I..." Jisoo looked between her sister and the brunette that stood next to her, and then back. "I want to warn you about what that woman plans on doing."
"Why on Earth would you warn me? How could I ever trust the likes of you, Jisoo, when you had come into my home and so blatantly lied to my face?"
"You lied to me, too, little sister." She was prickling moments later, those pale eyes shooting daggers at the darker woman in front of her. "Sterile? I mean, come on! Sure, sterility may be an indirect problem if your lover is that of the same gender... And to think this... girl wasn't anything the way that she had been acting with you that day. I am not stupid or blind when I could clearly see what was written out in from of me." Jisoo scoffed and Lisa nearly lunged at her.
Instead, the woman remained in her spot, expression stoic and stone cold. "Either tell me about Mother, or leave. I will not have you arguing with me over this once again."
"Fine." Jisoo bit, her arms crossing over the deep, forest green dress that she wore. "But I suggest we find someplace more comfortable to have this conversation."
Without a word, Lisa lifted an arm towards the sitting room before marching towards the direction. Jennie followed as well as Jisoo until the thrice of them had found their designated spots. Lisa and Jennie sat hip to hip on the couch as Jisoo took the chair kitty-corner to it.
"Please, enlighten me with the information that you bring. What is Mother's plan?"
Jisoo shifted slightly in her spot as if to get more comfortable, soon wetting her lips before she spoke, her crisp accent filling the room. "Her plan equates to something far more sinister than even my most wildest of imaginations could muster. That woman had snatched me up the moment that she had realized that I could be used as a pawn in her game. This game of hers was not fair... she wasn't fair."
"But that woman is never fair." Lisa mumbled, her lip curled.
"I know. She had cheated her way across the board as she always had in life, playing her role as the ruthless lawyer, tearing through mere innocents to get to where she wanted. Cora wanted nothing of me. She had merely feigned her sympathy as she took me under her wing. She only needed me to fly to you, my dear sister."
"Once she had gotten there, once she was sure that she had fully landed with her feet firmly planted on the ground, she tossed me aside like the trimmings of fat off a divine piece of meat. I am worthless, as she had said. I am disposable."
"Lisa, I now understand of why you were quick to reject even the smallest of offers from that woman and I cannot cease to apologize enough for my quippy attitude upon our first meeting."
"I am unsure if you have ever known that I had been associating with our lovely mother when I first arrived. We had been talking for roughly two years as she brought me promise of inheriting the firm. I had not originally known who she was nor had I intended to steal what she had to offer until I stumbled upon her doorstep with the attitude of an adopted child that was curious to know of their birth parents, but she had not wanted to know me."
"It wasn't easy to sit that woman down long enough to convince her to let me in. It took weeks, near months until she had decided that I was adequate enough to take over the business that she had so evidently cherished. I would say that woman loved her firm more than the children that had grown in her womb."
"But it had all been just a mere ploy, in her natural habit. Though, I am not here to share the daily gossip and pity stories with you, little sister. I am here to warn you of what mother has waiting up her sleeve. She had spilled her ultimate plan to me, however insolent that had been. I can only assume that she had opened her plan for my knowledge to reel me onto her side, though at the time, I would have done just about anything to get my hands on that company."
"But now that she had banished me from her kingdom, I come to you with a plea. Please hear me out and be warned. Cora will stop at nothing until she gets your brunette lover away from you. She wants to revert you to her side. She wants you to be normal, however she plans that. I know that you cannot be helped, but that woman is ever insistent and will stop at nothing until she gets exactly what she wants. I simply cannot wrap my head around the fact, but it will be something that I intend to stay away from after this." The older woman sighed, bringing her attention back to her younger sister as she had finished, her hands placed delicately on her lap.
"I already know that, Jisoo. This news was never new to me. Do tell me something I do not know before I kick you out of my house for a waste of my precious time. Mother was so easy to tell me what she wanted, and if she hadn't so blatantly said it, I could still read her enough to figure out her formulated plan. I know our Mother. I have grown up with her, after all." Lisa was now shifting impatiently in her spot on the couch, those coffee eyes staring her sister down with a harsh attitude. The hand that she had slipped into Jennie's only tightened the more her irritation rose.
"In due time, little sis. It is pointless to take a side when I get nothing in return. Why I am ever helping the likes of you, I never know. Perhaps I am in a generous mood at the moment, or my need for revenge is burning something fierce. But alas, I will not repeat this a second time, so hear me well. This will be the last time we will ever be acquainted." The auburn haired woman sensed her younger sister's annoyance, for she shifted almost uncomfortably in her spot with a heated scowl of her own.
Jisoo's words only made Jennie squeak as the teacher's grip never faltered, her upper lip bearing with disgust. "Then get to the damned point. I do not care what side you are on, you came here to tell me of our mother's plan, so do it. My patience is wearing thin."
"Yes, yes. Cora is planning on following you to Boston, track you down, what have you. She knows that you have finally moved to resign from your job- that woman has eyes and ears all over this town. But I assume that you know of her knowledge, for she had threatened that very thing of you during her departure."
"But that is not all that she knows. She also has knowledge of your plan on seeking employment at the very university that your young partner will be attending. Before you ask how she has knowledge of such information, I told you that she has eyes and ears all over this town... and more specifically in your bedroom in that stuffed rag of yours." There was a slight hesitance in Jisoo's words, her face appearing to turn a sickly green as she thought of that very stuffed rag.
"How the hell do I know you're even telling the truth, Jisoo? For all I know, you're still on Mother's side. No Manoban woman can ever be trusted, especially ones associated with her." Lisa was quick to bite back, wariness prickling the hairs on the back of her neck. She always had a feeling that there was something wrong with that bear her mother had given her. Cora wouldn't be so willing to hand back something from the brunette's childhood, especially something that she had grown so fond of during that time.
And that woman's knowledge of everything was alarming. Though she hadn't trusted her elder sister, she had a feeling that woman was telling her the truth.
"If you do not believe me, check the stitching on the back. Tear it open. Squeeze it. It's in there. I'm the one that had implanted the bug for her."
"You? You've been spying on us?" Lisa growled angrily. "This is all the more reason I should not trust a single word coming from your mouth. You could be lying, even about the bug."
"I cannot bring my very eyes to meet yours with some of the things that had been picked up from the device and I blush to think about it, but the information was valuable when you had conversations within distance of the bear..."
"I cannot tell you exactly what mother has planned when she sees to it to bring herself to Boston with you, but she wants nothing more than that girl's head on a plate and you attached to a leash. She will stop at nothing to tear you two apart, even if that means destroying the very thing that you love. That is all I can warn you of, so I recommend that you prepare yourselves and watch your backs. Heed my advice before you become another victim of that woman's treachery."
"I already am a victim of Cora, Jisoo. I have been for thirty-eight years. You have told me nothing of value." Lisa coldly stated, standing from her spot.
It was true. Jisoo had told her things that the teacher had already known- sans the bug in her childhood memorabilia. Though, there was still no reason to believe her sister's telling about any of this. For all Lisa knew, that woman could still be playing on her mother's side of the board. As Jisoo had said, she would stop at nothing to get her hands on that company and was greedy enough to hurt anyone in her way, just as Cora was.
But there was still an itching feeling that Lisa had, taunting her in the back of her mind. Jisoo was telling the truth. Lisa knew it, she could feel it. Though she couldn't shake the thoughts of why her older sister was helping her now.
"Well, don't say that I hadn't warned you, dear sister. When you find Jennie six feet underground by this month's end, do not come crying to me. My shoulder will be far away from all this drama." Then she stood, coolly gliding towards the foyer with Lisa to follow.
The words that she had just spoken sliced through the woman's heart like a knife through butter. She had no doubt her mother would turn to violence if nothing else worked, and there was not a doubt in her mind that Cora would even be willing to kill Jennie if the time came, and the price right.
The faintest of noises bubbled within her throat at the thought. She quickly reached behind her to seek out Jennie's hand, her heart squeezing in her chest when she had found it.
"Why are you telling me all of this?" She lightly inquired before Jisoo could open the front door.
The older woman paused, slowly turning around to find large, brown eyes reflecting back on her. Jisoo's own pale eyes fell to their intertwined hands, a flash of emotion flickered in them, disappearing before Lisa could make out what it was. Then she brought those hesitant eyes back up to meet with her sister's, her voice quiet as she spoke.
"Because I can see the love between you two, and I have heard the idle conversation after Mother was long off to bed. I can see, even now, how strong you two adore each other, and I know that it is something rare to have a love like that." Jisoo shifted, leaning against the door for a moment as she looked between the duo, her lips twitching when she saw the two lovers share a warm glance towards each other as they contemplated those words.
"I was so blinded by Mother's offer that I hadn't thought to actually take a look, to see things as you see them, unlike Cora who just wants nothing more than for her daughter to be normal. But normality is not something we should live by." There was a slight pause as Jisoo exhaled, a haunted look on her face. "We are all different in some way, and that's okay. I was never disgusted by the fact that you were a lesbian. In fact, one of my friends had turned out to be gay and I covered for him rather often."
"Really?" Lisa's eyes widened slightly at the new information, earning a nod from her older sister. The woman's information was easing the prickling sensation, though it was still faint. Was she trying to drag Lisa onto her side? Or was this just another ploy to do just that so Lisa would let her guard down?
"I am not bigoted like our dear Mother, though, I was willing to do or be just about anything to please her, even if that meant narrowing my mind. You are not sick, Lisa, no matter what Cora has embedded into your mind. Love knows no boundaries and that is the most beautiful thing. You are lucky when you find that one person; your soul mate."
"And I... I just cannot let Mother ruin that for you. So I had come to warn you, though it may not be much. But at least you will be prepared and you can fight her back. Take control of your life and... protect Jennie." Her gaze fell on the young brunette, looking indifferent as she forced a smile on her face. "I wish you two long, happy lives where your love will flourish as will your family. Please, Lisa, trust me on what I am telling you. Protect Jennie. Get her away. Get away from it all."
"And how do you propose that I do that?" Lisa's voice was quiet as she thought about what her older sister had said, a wave of panic suddenly gripping her every nerve.
"Don't go to Boston. Or, at least, don't bring your precious Jennie to Boston. Leave her here. Mother knows where you are going, and everything that you will be doing. You have discussed too much while you were in your bedroom and I am afraid that she had heard everything you have on your agenda-"
"I cannot just leave Jennie here. She was the one that wanted to go to Boston in the first place. I will not take that away from her." The woman slipped an arm around her girlfriend's waist, tugging her close against her. The brunette remained quiet, though her forest green eyes were a whirlwind of emotion.
"Then be warned, Lisa." Jisoo's voice turned solemn as she gazed upon the two women in front of her, soon tearing it away as she turned to open the front door. "So long as Cora is alive, she will stop at nothing until her daughter needs her."
And then she was gone, leaving Lisa to stare at the door in front of her.
So long as Cora is alive, she will stop at nothing until her daughter needs her.
Those words echoed through her mind, shaking her to her very core.
Lisa had only ever really needed her mother once in her life, and that was when she was in absolute despair with no job, nor a roof over her head. And that thought had only driven the teacher into further insanity. She didn't have a job, and the one lined up in Boston hadn't responded back to her application.
But she still had a roof. She still had the place in which she stood, or so her mother had offered her up before her departure. Though, Cora still owned the house and she could take it away from Lisa within a matter of seconds.
There was still that apartment that she was renting in Boston.
She still had a roof.
She didn't need to fall back on her mother.
But then the squeeze against her side had her heart sinking to her feet.
Cora would kill Jennie if she had to, to get Lisa to fall back on her.
The teacher wasn't stupid enough to run to her mother if that were to happen. And she was sure the lawyer wasn't, either. So what did that woman have up her sleeve?
"Lili, are you going to be alright?" Jennie's soft, sweet voice queried from beside her.
"Uh... yes. I will be, sweetheart." Lisa offered her a hesitant smile, tilting her head to press a soft kiss to the brunette's lips. "Now, come on. We've still got some planning to do for your graduation."
-----
"Up up up!" A husky voice and hand on her arm had woken Jennie, or at least roused her from the light slumber she was trying to partake in. Her emerald eyes popped open to meet with dark chocolate, and blinked... then blinked again once she had realized where exactly those brown eyes were.
Lisa was on her knees at the side of the bed, an amused smile on her lips as a hand gently stroked the golden locks on her young lover's head. "Good, you're awake. Now you need to get up and get your little tush ready so we can go eat breakfast."
"What time is it?" Jennie muttered, soon realizing that it had come out as a whine when the brunette gave her that look.
With a soft tsk, Lisa pushed herself up from her position on the floor to gaze at the electronic clock on the opposite side of the bed. "It's a quarter to eight."
"What?" The brunette squawked up at the woman before rolling over, tossing the blankets over her head and snuggling back down against the mattress. "Breakfast doesn't start until, like, nine-thirty. That's a whole hour and a half."
"While you are correct, Jennie, you are also misguided. You understand, I have to be at the restaurant early to help with preparations. I know that it may sound completely insane to go so early before the students arrive, and a teacher at that since the owners of the eatery should be able to take care of such preparations, but- and yes, there's a but- it's my job. There are too many students that will not be attending that have not paid, which means that we have to set up lines and tables by last names, and need I remind you how tedious it is to be a teacher sometimes." The English teacher gazed down to the brunette who had eventually found her way onto her back to be met with a charming smile.
"I would suggest that you could sleep in until the time for the students to attend breakfast would come but I don't want to go alone." She puffed out her bottom lip, giving Jennie a pouty, puppy-dog look. It hadn't lasted long before she burst into a short bout of laughter from the confused face the brunette gave her and shook her head. "No, but I suppose if you would prefer to stay here for another hour, I am fine with that. I wouldn't think you'd want to sit in the car for that period of time because I'm uncertain if any early bird students are allowed into the restaurant before the designated breakfast time."
"Like any of these teenagers will be early." The brunette mumbled under her breath as she sat herself up, a lengthy yawn ripping from her throat. "If there's an opportunity to sleep in, we take it."
"More than just teenagers will jump at that opportunity, dear." Lisa chuckled softly as she made her way to the bathroom. "We are all human, after all, and most people in this day and age enjoy sleeping in." There was a pause as she stood in the doorway of the bathroom, making a face. "Except for those morning people. I am fully convinced that they are not human, or at least sane. How on Earth can someone be so cheery that early in the day?"
Jennie chuckled softly, her head shaking. "Beats me with a wooden stick."
"I'd like to beat you with a wooden stick." The woman's voice had dropped incredibly low, causing the hairs on the brunette's body to stand on end, her eyes slightly widening.
"Yeah, but there isn't any time. I apologize." She smirked soon after, donning a tantalizing visage as she pushed the covers off her. Jennie stood from the bed, Lisa watching with a soft grin of her own.
"Oh, you are quite maddening, aren't you?"
"Indeed I can be." The brunette gave her a look, one that resembled that of a satisfied cat. "Now, why don't you get ready and I'll-"
"Take a shower with me." Lisa interrupted, pulling the groggy teenager up from the bed before she could protest.
Jennie grumbled softly, mostly obscenities from being pulled out of bed as she followed her girlfriend to the en suite bathroom. Her eyes were heavy, her body exhausted from the lack of sleep the night previous. The two of them had fretted over Jisoo's untimely visit and her near futile warning that only set Lisa's already frazzled nerves on end.
After Jennie had successfully distracted Lisa from her worries, the two of them had finished with their current objective for the upcoming graduation, ordering their dresses for the dance and completed any other preparations that they had come up with. Jennie was sure that they had that day planned out down to the very second.
Lisa was satisfied, and that had meant Jennie was as well, for she didn't have to hear the former nag on about procrastination. Though the canary would keep singing since the very word was Jennie's middle name when it came to school, or at least its events.
Which was her reluctance this morning as she trailed behind Lisa, her slender wrist in the brunette's tight grasp.
"Oh, come on, my dear." The teacher mewled, tugging at her young lover's tank top as they had found themselves in the lavatory. Jennie couldn't help but to smile, her body responding already to Lisa's gentle touches. Her mind was becoming more alert, her eyes widening. She couldn't stay grouchy for long around that woman, especially when she wore that smile- rich and seductive.
Lisa really was feeling better, and that definitely was a good thing.
"What will you bribe me with this morning?" Jennie cheekily responded to the older woman's earlier statement. There was a moment's hesitation before Lisa had spoken, her olive fingers plucking at the brunette's straps.
"We haven't much time, my love." These fingers soon found soft, ivory skin as they delicately danced over Jennie's cheek.
"But perhaps I may have something to offer in the form of a metaphorical rain check... That is, if you do not mind?"
"And when might this later be, if not now? Can't we just kill two birds with one stone in the shower?" Jennie gave her a sultry look, her lower lip catching between her teeth.
"I apologize." Lisa frowned for but a moment, her palm flattening against the younger woman's face. Jennie turned into it, her features softening. "How about a down payment? If I allow you to... wash me, will you hold out until breakfast is over?"
"Lemme think about that." Jennie smirked, turning her head to press a gentle kiss to Lisa's hand.
"Are you honestly going to start this game when we have very little time to play it?" The teacher clucked with an arched brow.
Jennie chuckled, moving away from Lisa as she peeled her sleepwear off. "I accept your proposition."
Molten chocolate eyes ate up the exposed, pale flesh in front of her. A faint smirk quirked her lips as those very orbs met with Jennie's, one foot moving in front of the other. The distance soon closed between them, the inches waning as Jennie matched each step forward with one back before hitting the wall behind her.
Hard, cool tile shocked the brunette, her entire backside felt frozen against the bathroom wall. Her front side was soon covered by warm, satin-like flesh as Lisa's petite frame pressed tightly against the younger woman. Tawny fingers, slender and nimble, skated up pale sides while a soft giggle slipped from Jennie's lips at the contact, her body squirming the more those fingers explored.
"You're wiggling all over the place, dear." Lisa chuckled, her breath was hot and moist as it caressed Jennie's neck with each puff.
"That's because you're tickling me." The brunette wrinkled her nose playfully, knowing that her words were rather obvious, as told by the expression that the older woman had donned.
"Is that so?" She quirked a brow, those fingers not ceasing their movements as she continued to trace the contour of her lover's body.
Jennie made a soft sound and she nodded, her own hands finding themselves on the woman's behind to pull her closer. Lisa smirked slowly, mouth dropping to the younger woman's pale neck, pressing the softest of kisses to the warming surface. They hummed in unison, breathing ragged in the small room as the two of them made a tango backwards towards the shower- Lisa in lead.
"Come, dear. We mustn't waste time." The woman murmured with a breath, one foot rising to enter the tub as she continued to tug at her younger lover, urging her to join.
Jennie didn't hesitate to respond to the demand, readily moving under the warm spray of water that Lisa had started as soon as the older woman was fully in. The brunette took her position behind the woman, watching as the tawny-skinned woman stepped underneath the warming water to wet her hair.
It was then that Jennie couldn't take her eyes off that raven-haired beauty, those forest eyes raking over the beads of water rolling down flawless skin. Every inch of the teacher was pure woman. From those perfect toes painted crimson to the big, sparkling brown eyes watching her, warm with emotion.