All of my heart I do
Blood through my veins for you
You alone have all of me."
~ Lyrics from RAPUNZEL by David J Matthews
"Josh, where are you taking me that I need to wear this dress?"
"Think of this as an early birthday present since I won't be able to see you on your birthday. After all, the groom isn't supposed to see his bride twenty-four hours before the wedding," he said when he finished with his tie.
"You might want your wrap. It's a little chilly outside." While her back was to him, JC carefully covered her eyes with one of her silk scarves.
"Is this really necessary, Josh?"
"Just promise me you won't peek."
"I promise, but this had better be good."
"Believe me, Star, it's going to be great." JC led her to the service elevator of the old warehouse the loft had been built in and pressed the button for the roof. He took her hand and led her to the small greenhouse the landlord kept.
"Mmmmm, roses?" He dropped her hand and walked behind her to take off the makeshift blindfold.
"Open your eyes, Vanessa." Keely did as she was told and gasped when her eyes focused on the scene before her.
"I would have loved to do this exactly the way I planned to propose to you, but the moment was perfect to do that weeks ago. I had this whole elaborate plan to propose like this on your birthday, but we've never been conventional, so why start now? Happy birthday, Star."
"Joshua, this is absolutely beautiful." The greenhouse looked perfect in the light of the many hurricane lanterns he'd had scattered around the space. Flowers of every color were in bloom all around her and snow was beginning to lightly fall on the city below.
"Hey, no tears tonight, love. Come on, dinner is waiting."
**********
"Hello, miss, what's your name?"
"Vikki, her name is Vikki and I'm Justin."
"Did you hit your head at all while you were struggling, Vikki," the EMT asked.
"He had my arm twisted behind me and...shoved me against the shower wall. My head kinda bounced off of it, but I wasn't knocked out. I heard and felt something pop in my arm and then I felt the pain." Justin felt sick as she described the attack.
"This is going to hurt, but I just want to feel if anything has been extensively broken. Just try to stay still." The EMT lightly touched her elbow and examined where her arm was most swollen. She gasped and clutched Justin's bicep as tears came to her eyes.
"Sorry, Vikki. I couldn't feel an obvious break, but a small fracture or damage to some ligaments and tendons is a very real possibility for an injury like this. You can get dressed now, but I suggest a button down shirt so you won't have to lift your arm. Now, for you young man, I'd say this wants stitches." He stepped out of the room to allow the couple some semblance of privacy. The police had just arrived and were taking the man into custody, thanking the building security guards for their service.
"As far as I can tell, she wasn't raped, just severely tossed around and the boyfriend got himself pistol whipped."
"Well, looks like robbery, assault and battery with intent to rape concerning the girl and robbery, assault and battery with a deadly weapon for the boyfriend. You're just making my day brighter, Benny. Let's go." Justin carefully wiped the tears from her eyes before helping Vikki stand so she could get dressed.
"I have a shirt that will hang down to your knees that you can wear over a pair of boxers, is that okay?"
"I'm so sorry, Justin."
"What? Why are you sorry?"
"I left the door unlocked when I got in the shower. None of this would have happened if I had locked the door."
"He could have picked the lock, Vik. I don't even lock the door when I'm here during the day." He carefully helped her into the shirt and boxers.
"Look at this place, Justin. Everything that made this your home has been destroyed. And you got hurt cause I was too stupid to lock the damn door."
"Vik, if I knew it would keep you safe, I'd get my ass beat everyday. Come on, let's get your arm looked at, okay?"
**********
"Victoria Healey? Dr. Donaldson can take a look at you now." Justin helped her stand and was walking back with her when the nurse stopped him.
"Sir, if you're not her immediate family, you need to stay out here."
"It's okay, Justin. They'll probably call you for your stitches soon." It was two hours before Justin and Vikki caught up with each other again. Justin had been stitched and Vikki's arm was splinted and placed in a sling.
"I guess we're staying at my rinky dink apartment tonight, huh?"
"I wouldn't care if we were staying in a cardboard box as long as you're safe and with me. So what happened to your elbow?"
"He dislocated it, so I have a torn ligament and muscle. They don't want me using it for at least eight weeks."
"I'm so sorry that I wasn't there sooner, Vik."
"Let's be happy that neither of us was hurt worse than we were and leave it at that, okay?"
"You said that when we first met."
"I can't believe you remember that. I figured you'd want to forget it."
***** Flashback *****
"Vikki, it's so good to see you again. How are you?"
"I'm really nervous about today."
"You have nothing to worry about. Josh and Dexter have a great work ethic when they're in the studio. Josh is just a big goofball anyway."
"This is going to be so much different than playing a minor role in Grease though."
"Honestly, Vikki, Josh wouldn't have agreed to take you on if he didn't think something set you apart from all the other acts JIVE asked him to produce. Besides, I think you're great. Now then, are you ready to meet the moron I call my boyfriend?" Both girls laughed and turned down a hallway of JIVE's New York office on their way to one of the conference rooms.
"How long have the two of you been together?"
"Well, we've known each other for eight months, so that means we've been a couple for about five-and-a-half. Things haven't been easy, but I wouldn't trade him for the world."
"Is it hard to work around your busy schedules?"
"It can be, but we make time for ourslves. I can see myself settling down with Josh. I never could with Mark."
"You make a beautiful couple." Keely opened the door to the conference room to let Vikki in and an arm seemed to come out of no where.
"I swear to God, man! She just shoved me against the wall of the DJ booth and..."
"OUCH!!"
"Damn!" Justin knuckles connected with Vikki's nose rather hard.
"Oh God, Vik, your nose is bleeding. Josh, can you hand me a bunch of those tissues, please? Keep your head down girl so you don't choke on it. Baby J, can you get some ice from the cafeteria for your hand and Vikki's nose?"
"Yeah, sure..." Vikki sat in one of the chairs and looked down at her shirt.
"I'm a bwoody meff..." Keely couldn't contain her laughter anymore.
"You sound absolutely horrible, Vik."
"Ith not my faulf." Justin walked back into the room then with two wash clothes full of ice.
"That's a nasty looking bruise on your hand there, dawg. Did you get into a fight," JC asked laughingly.
"Shove it, C. Keely, you need to put a muzzle on your boy. Here, you're Vikki Healey, right," Justin asked handing her the ice.
"Yeth, and I fink you boke my nothe."
"I'm so sorry, Vikki. I was caught up in telling a story and I just didn't see you there."
"Leth be happy that neither of uth wath hurt worth than we were, okay?"
"Okay."
***** End Flashback *****
Vikki's landlord was nice enough to use his master key to unlock the door to her apartment.
"Would you feel more comfortable in a tank top, love?" She looked at him funny, noticing the new nickname he'd just used.
"Um, yeah, probably. No, wait, my arm is stuck at this angle so I wouldn't be able to put it on. Could you just help me out of this shirt and I'll try to sleep that way?" Justin unbuttoned the shirt he'd given her to wear and noticed for the first time that each of her attacker's fingers had left a dark purple bruise on her right breast. At that point in time, it finally set into Justin's brain what had happened to the both of them that evening.
"Oh God, Vik."
"What? Justin, what's wrong?" He couldn't keep the tears from falling just as he couldn't stop the beating of his heart.
"He could have raped and killed you and I wouldn't have known until it was too late."
"I'm here, Justin. I'm here and I'm fine."
"I love you, Victoria...and I never would have been able to tell you if I hadn't come home when I did."
"You...you what?"
"I love you, and I'd do anything to keep you safe." He hugged her body close to his own, being careful of her arm.
"We're going to be okay, Justin. We'll be okay."
