Everything I know, well it's nothing til I give it to you (Victoria)

As instructed, Tessa's driver had located and moved Jackson's SUV to the back entrance where it had stayed parked for less than five minutes before the politician emerged from the mercifully quiet rear entrance of the hall. Victoria cradled in his arms cut a figure seen as no more than that of a child from far away as he moved towards the vehicle, opening the passenger door one handed and laying her down as gently as he could on the seat before strapping her and moving to the driver's side.

He didn't want to move, he didn't want to drive. He just wanted to park somewhere, pull the little goblin up close to him and hug her better until she woke up and told him non of this had happened. But Jackson couldn't do any of that. Victoria had spent so much time looking after him, his offices, his campaign, his Merida, his fiance, his niece and goddaughter. Now he had to take care of her. Shutting down was not an option. So the wizard shifted the car into gear and drove.

They needed a hospital, or some kind of emergency medical service. But not nearby. He was too well known in the region of Milwaukee. No, the man sped up, pushing the lawful speed limit as he headed towards the nearest portal. Jackson had no idea where they would end up but he had cash, credit cards and a wand. All these things would ensure Victoria got the best help available at this time of night.

"Hang in there kiddo," he whispered, reaching over to squeeze the young woman's hand even if she didn't feel it. The lawyer was still blissfully unaware of the world, and the battle between wanting to wake her and not wanting to make her feel worse than she already was was going full force in his mind. The initial diagnoses had shown she wasn't in a life threatening emergency. Jackson also knew a little about how shock inducing situations could cause temporary loss of consciousness. All signs pointed to Victoria at least being physically okay.

And yet he refused to believe that until she woke up and told him so. Until then, he would drive with one eye on the witch beside him, danger be damned.

It was past one in the morning when he was able to focus enough to see a passing signboard denoting they were entering Minnesota state lines. deciding that they were far enough, the man now kept his eyes peeled for a hospital or clinic in the vicinity, only finding one twenty minutes later that was a further half an hour's drive away.

"Almost there, Vic,' he murmured, steering the car sharply left to follow the sign he'd almost missed in yhe dark. Victoria stayed in her seat but Jackson's body was thrown to the wheel with the action, making him realize he had forgotten to put on his own seat belt as he'd driven away. Ignoring the sharp pain in his midsection, the man continued to drive until he reached the poorly lit emergency area.

Navigating to the unlit and almost derelict parking area, Jackson cut off the engine, his eyes returning to Victoria the moment the car stopped. Getting out of the driver's seat, he shut the door firmly before moving to get Victoria. Softly unclasping her seat belt and gathering her from the seat, he shifted her to the back of the car which he'd magically magnified earlier to be as roomy as a full sized bed. Laying her down gently, Jackson climbed in after her and locked them both in.

In a while, he would take her to the emergency room, he would hand her over to the doctors, and he would make sure she was okay.

In he days and weeks and months to come, he would make sure that Wyatt Jameson paid for what he did to Victoria.

But for now, Jackson merely moved to to curl up next to his princess, cuddling her close and feeling the rise and fall of her breathing a her back moved with the small, fluttery motion. For now, he would hold her close and remind himself that he would never get let her get into such a dangerous situation ever again.

For now, Jackson would just try to return his heart rate to normal, telling himself over and over again that though unconscious, his princess was right here, with him.

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Everything I know, well it's nothing til I give it to you (Victoria) Rsz_mi10

Everything I know, well it's nothing til I give it to you (Victoria) Rsz_ja12

Everything I know, well it's nothing til I give it to you (Victoria) Rsz_rs13

The trip from the bathroom to Jackson's SUV had not brought even a stir from Victoria.

Nor had the drive.

The young witch had been completely lost to the unconscious darkness that had pulled her away from the bathroom, completely unaware of everything around her. Whilst miles had been put between the witch and her attacked, Victoria Newbury was not aware of the change of scenery in any manner.

Even when the car was brought to a stop and her small frame was moved from the front of the SUV in to the back, the witch remained blissfully unaware of anything happening to her.

Until, of course, something alerted her subconsciously to the closeness of another.

Victoria's mind was not waking quickly to her surroundings, groggy from its unexpected shut down, her eyes slowly opened to find... not very much being clear. Darkness was all the witch could manage to make out, which did not aid her in that moment. Her body protested to being brought back around in that moment, pain sparking at every inch of her body as she managed to mumble softly. Incoherently. Only once, though, for the witch's eyes fell closed once more because she did not have the energy to battle against her body's obvious discontent with being brought back to that moment.

It was as she breathed in, her whole diaphragm filling, expanding, continuing to circulate the rest of her body with oxygen that the reason for her consciousness returning made itself known. The pressure of someone else's body doing exactly the same behind her. The dead weight across her waist and around the witch's stomach was enough to bring on the next actions.

The scream reverberated from somewhere deep within as Victoria tried to move, her body protesting heavily with the process. The arm -- or what felt like one at least -- did not bring any resistance in that moment, though, and with energy the witch did not know she had, or could even comprehend in that moment, pushed herself away.

"J-Jackson!" The witch called out, in something akin to a sob because her whole body hurt too much to avoid crying now. He would save her! The witch knew that much as she backed away from the other body in that moment, pressing herself hard against the side. A car, her mind supplied as her back pressed against the door rest. "Please don't h-hurt me." The witch continued, now crying with the confusion of the situation, not knowing who was with her, and definitely not knowing where she was.

Or that she was, in fact, perfectly safe right now.

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~ Slender ~ 30 ~ Bookworm ~ 5' ~ American ~

the first sign of Victoria coming around was a soft mumble, one that had Jackson immediately open his eyes to the darkness of the car. The man hadn't been sleeping. He doubted he'd sleep for a long time. his eyes had been shut however, as he held Victoria close, a multitude of scenarios running through his head about what was to come.

Lying in the darkness with the lawyer cuddled safely at his side, Jackson could finally think. He had needed the quiet to process what had happened, and where to go from here. Slowly but surely, his reflexes in emergency situations were kicking in. His phone had buzzed several times in his pants pocket but he had ignored it.

the only thing that could move him was Victoria, and she did so by stirring quietly at first, and then letting out a shrill scream, jolting Jackson from his position on the seat and making him sit up. In that time, the witch had already moved to the farthest corner of the SUV available to her as she pleaded with him not to hurt her.

"Victoria... it's okay," he called out, putting his hands behind him so she could see she wasn't in danger. Activated by his voice, the light turned on and revealed his face to the witch.

It also revealed the sobbing quivering mess that was his Princess as she tried to claw her way out of the locked car.

"It's okay Vic... It's me... You're okay," he soothed, still keeping his hands behind his back. "We're in the car, at an emergency clinic. We're just here to get you checked out okay, I promise no one's going to hurt you..." the man didn't know if his words were helping ehr.

All he knew was that he would keep saying anything, promising anything, if it somehow resulted in Victoria being less frightened of him.

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The first spoken words in the car that did not come from her own lips were as if they were coming through some kind of thick fog, or water, or... something. They didn't make sense to the witch in that moment as she pressed herself against the side of the car, trying to get out but coming up short because they were locked. Or, she couldn't work the door.

But as the lights came on, much too brightly in that moment, Victoria's hands moved up sluggishly to protect her eyes from the light that was not welcome in that moment.

Stopping that stimulus, though, pushed the energy from that sense to the listening, and thankfully, the witch was able to take in the voice in the car.

Jackson, the witch recognised in that moment, her small frame sagging with relief against the side of the car as her hands moved to cover her face as more tears rushed down her cheeks without prevention. Soft sobs broke free from the witch's lips as she stayed hidden and huddled against the door, as far away from the man as she could get, and yet... grateful for his presence in the car.

"I'm s-so, so sorry," the witch managed between sobs, voice shaking. "You didn't have to bring me here, I'll... I'll be f-fine." Though she knew that that was not true, she would make it so for Jackson, she didn't want to be a burden on him. But even as she spoke, her palm pressed to the cut and bruise upon her cheek that felt a little too hot against her hand and let out a soft whimper of pain.

A shudder ran through the witch's body as the memory flashed violently before her eyes, but the witch did not move from her huddled position in search of comfort. She did not deserve Jackson's sympathy right now, she'd messed everything up, hadn't she?

"Is he... o-..." The witch tried, but the words wouldn't form behind her hands, she all but choked on them because she didn't really know what to ask. Or... even worse, what she wanted to hear in that moment.

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"I'm s-so, so sorry,"

Upon first hearing the broken apology, Jackson would have thought it was the last thing he'd hear. But over a year of knowing Victoria Newbury spoke volumes. Of course she would apologize. Even in her confused and frightened state, the witch had somehow made everything out to be her own fault.

"Hey, shh it okay," he continued as she hid away her face. "Yes, you'll be fine, after we see a doctor okay?' he asked, trying to engage the tiny witch as much as he could. She had to focus on the conversation, not sink back into the recent past. "Can you do that for me, Victoria? Please...? Can you please come and see the doctors with me?"

All this was spoken without moving from his place opposite her, with his hands still behind him even though she'd recognized him now. "See my shirt," he pointed out, trying a different approach. "I got banged up pretty bad too. We both need to see a doctor right?" Hopefully she wouldn't remember how all that blood had ended up on his white shirt. All she needed to do was let him help her.

"I promise I'll be there the whole time, I won't leave you alone for even a second, unless that's what you want." With that, he slowly extending one hand towards her. But the man did no more, waiting for her to move forwards and take it so he could help her from the car.

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Jackson's words met the witch's ears but she didn't respond upon hearing that she needed to see a doctor. That, the witch knew, and even still, telling another person of what had happened... of her shame, was not something Victoria wanted to do.

The beating of her heart sounded louder in her ears in that moment as blood rushed through her body.

Panic.

"See my shirt,"

The words brought Victoria back for a moment long enough to allow her to lower her hands from her face, her eyes finding the state of Jackson's shirt. Right now, the witch did not remember the events in which Jackson's shirt had become so bloody, but the fact he was hurt was enough to make her concentrate and not zone back out with the panic that wanted to pull her back away.

The witch's eyes did not move to Jackson's face, though, too ashamed to look him in the eye, the witch's eyes settled to the space between them, one hand reaching up to brush away the tears that hadn't yet finished falling. Slowly, Victoria's head moved up and down in confirmation that she would do as Jackson had asked, that she would go with him to see the doctors, even if she didn't want to talk to them about it. To admit to it.

Jackson's hand moved out to her, but Victoria did not move from her position against the side of the SUV. Instead, the witch rested her head upon her knees and resigned herself to what would be coming next. When, and if, Jackson moved, she would not move to stop him from moving her from the position she was currently in, allowing him to lead them in to the hospital.

Numbness would simply consume the witch from this point now, she was safe, physically, but she knew that this was far from over.

And she just wanted to curl up and go back to sleep.

Wake up from this nightmare.

In her own bed.

Safe.

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It felt too long, the time between him convincing her to go into the clinic to the moment she actually consented to it. But Jackson waited. He waited until she clearly agreed, reaching to pull her gently into him and rub her back before opening the door on his side and shifting her into his lap, carefully carrying the witch out with him. Thankfully, her height made it easy for him to exit the car without bumping the young woman's head.

Carrying her through to the emergency room, Jackson was immediately greeted with a sight not unheard of in this part of the country. An underfunded, understaffed medical facility that was crowded even at this time of night. One receptionist and nurse manned the waiting area while the board showed two GPs on duty. The waiting room contained at least thirty people, all nursing various injuries and ailments.

"Hi, is there a way we can see the doctor immediately, it's an emergency," Jackson requested at the front desk and in true American form, was given a bunch of papers to fill out. The man had to shuffle awkwardly, Victoria still in his arms, to reach for his wallet. The empty forms were returned with three crisp hundred dollar bills and were accepted matter of factly. The nurse pointed towards the hallway leading to one Doctor Lila Dash.

Finally putting Victoria down on one of the seats directly outside the doctor's office, Jackson sat beside the witch, one arm still around to her to keep reminding her he was there. His other hand now filled out as much of the medical form as he could. Under injuries, he hastily jotted down the words "fall" and "bruises and cuts".

The bell rang, signalling their turn and once again, Jackson turned to pick Victoria up, this time putting her down in the examining chair while Dr. Dash looked over the forms.

"Hello, Victoria is it?" the medical professional asked kindly, smiling at the huddled mess that was the tiny goblin. "It's okay, we're going to make you all better. But can you first tell me if you can hear me Victoria? If you can hear me, please nod."

Should the witch nod, the doctor would mark soemthing off ehr chart. "Very good Victoria, I'm Dr. Dash. but you can call me Lila, do you think you can do that?" Once again, the elderly woman in the white coat would wait, until she heard Victoria speak.

"Okay, now I'm going to just have a look at your eyes. Can you please move your hands from your face?" This time, Victoria shook her head, a clear indication of no. Dr. Dash paused, her eyes now turning to Jackson who was standing quietly beside her patient.

"Would it be better if we send your friend out? Then we can talk properly?"

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Come Plot With Me <3

Jackson's arms had felt like a safe haven for a time, but as the man moved her in to his arms that evening, the witch's body shook at the contact, despite the fact she continued to tell herself she was safe, she just wanted Jackson to stop being so, so nice. It felt wrong, somehow, in that moment to have the man protecting her when it had been her fault.

Very, very wrong.

And yet, even though it felt wrong, Victoria did not want the man to let her go, because without him holding her together in that moment, she knew she would be a quivering wreck, in Merlin only knew what state, back at the wedding. The witch physically flinched in that moment as she got lost in the thoughts of what had happened, scrunching herself together a little more tightly despite every muscle in her body screaming in agony at the even more restrictive position she'd taken up in Jackson's arms.

Victoria's eyes kept betraying her with tears, which had thoroughly soaked Jackson's shirt where she hid her face from the world, not even pretending to try to keep a grasp on what was going on. If she blocked all of this out hard enough, it would go away, wouldn't it? That was what the witch was working on in that moment, still conscious, but trying her hardest to not be here.

The world only came back in to being when Victoria's own name cut through the fogginess of her mind, but it wasn't Jackson talking. Another voice, soft and reassuring in nature broke through, and Victoria's mind tried to kick back in just long enough to focus.

Could she hear the witch?

Victoria nodded at the question as she had been asked to, focusing in on the instructions she was being given, though not moving from her huddled state in that moment. The fetal position -- even if sitting -- was protective in nature, and the witch would not move from it.

The second question posed was one that insisted upon Victoria talking in that moment. A lump formed in the witch's throat for a moment, fresh tears threatening to fall but Victoria took a moment, and as she'd been asked, repeated the doctor's name in no more than a whisper loud enough to be heard, but not strong in any manner.

The third question made Victoria shake her head, her hands denoted the damage to her cheek, and though she hadn't seen it, Victoria knew it would not be a pretty sight. She didn't want Jackson to see that, and yet...

"Would it be better if we send your friend out? Then we can talk properly?"

If the first shake of Victoria's head had been firm, the second at the thought of losing Jackson's reassuring presence was more than a little defensive in nature. If Jackson left, then she would have no reason to keep pushing through the motions.

Slowly, cautiously, the witch lowered her hands from her face. The cut from Mr Jameson's ring would be quite clear, the skin around it would be puffy from the blow, and after that, the formation of the bruise that made the witch's cheek tender to touch would be beginning. Her eyes would be reddened considerable from the tears that had spilt, her makeup running in all manners and smudged where her hands had been pushing away the errant tears. The perfect look that she'd managed hours before would be ruined, and Victoria would keep her eyes down at the floor from embarrassment until instructed otherwise.

Doctor Dash spoke softly with her instructions of where to look, and Victoria complied without hesitation, ensuring her eyes never met the doctor's, or Jackson's in the process because she was not yet ready to see what they saw in her in that moment. The light was a little too bright in that moment, but Victoria endured the process until the doctor was satisfied and made a note.

The tests continued. Reflex tests were given, and though Victoria knew somewhere in the back of her mind that these should not hurt, her muscles ached with the actions. Whether real pain or imagined, the witch was not sure, but in that moment, it would not matter.

A blood pressure test followed, and as Victoria winced upon moving her arm more than she had bulked with any of the other movements, Dr Dash followed up with a check on her left elbow after she'd written down the numbers from the blood pressure machine. Reassurances followed with each test that came, but Victoria was listening only to the instructions, not the outcomes that came with them.

But as the doctor asked if she could listen to her chest, Victoria's body went still. The tension clear in the room, Dr Dash glanced up at Jackson for a moment before returning her gaze to Victoria.

"It's okay, we're just going to listen to your heartbeat."

Victoria's hands both moved from their protective restraint of covering her throat and chest, exposing all of the bruises that had been left by her attacker. A silent sob left the witch's lips in that moment, even as Dr Dash assured her that it was all okay. The way the other woman was looking at her, though -- Victoria could feel the judging stare even if she could not see it -- made Victoria feel even more powerless than anything else had, but she accepted the fact the tests needed to be happen in silence.

What else could she do after all?

All of her powers of choice had been taken from her this evening.

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Jackson assumed his position quietly beside Victoria, a warm hand on her shoulder as the doctor communicated with her. He saw her eyebrows go up in suspicion as she studied the parse form he'd filled out outside. The doctor's suspicion rose once again as she asked if Victoria would be more comfortable on her own. The politician was just about to answer with a resounding no from both of them when the tiny witch did it herself, shaking and quivering but firm in her instant that her companion remain exactly where he was.

The professional continued to poke and prod Victoria, making notes as she went. And after a few rough starts, the lawyer began to actively respond to instructions. Jackson knew this Victoria, this was the Victoria who lost herself in a to do list or carried out instructions when she didn't wish to think.

This was the Victoria that had probably let the whole thing with Jameson go along for as long as it did. Though the raven haired wizard tried not to think about that. He id not need to punch the desk and confirm his violent tendencies in front of witnesses.

For the first time that night, it occurred to Jackson that his donor might have died. the thought was accompanied by little remorse.

"Well, it tools like most of the wounds are superficial, and will heal in the next few weeks," Dr. Dash finally declared, looking non too happy with the fact that she hand't gotten to examine Victoria as thoroughly as she would have liked. "Since the incident listed here is a fall, I've done all the analysis that comes with such an injury." Her tone now softened, decidedly aimed towards Victoria and not him.

"But if there's anything not on the form, you can tell me dear. You're safe here regardless of who is present. The law always protects the victims." Her words may have worked on others but Victoria remained quiet. "Very well, but I'm going to give you a number okay. So if you fall again, you can call it and someone on the other side will help you." Without looking at Jackson once, she slid the card to Victoria who took it numbly and placed it in Jackson's coat pocket. The same pocket that contained a USB Jackson had been overjoyed to receive what seemed like years ago.

"I've prescribed some general painkillers, and something to help you sleep. And if it's possible, I'd like you to come see me again in a week, just o can make sure your elbow's healing properly." But seh said it with the air of a woman who knew she would never be seeing them again. Had Jackson been in the right frame of mind, he would have admired the work Lila Dash did at her poorly resourced practice. Right now however, all he could think about was Victoria.

"Thanks Doc," he muttered, taking the proscription from her before giving Victoria a hand, helping the witch to her feet. She could walk now, albeit slowly and leaning heavily against him. It didn't mater though. Jackson lead her out of the examination area slowly, asking her if she wanted to sit or go to collect the mediation with him. When she said she wanted to come along, he nodded slowly, guiding her all the way.

It took another half an hour for them to get the medication, another hundred dollar bill earning them three weeks doses instead of the one Dr. Dash had prescribed. No doubt she would eventually find out and her suspicions would be confirmed but Jackson couldn't think of that right now.

As he lead her to the car parked outside, the white packet of meds in his other hand, Jackson kept up a steady stream of comforting words.

But most of all, he kept reminding the witch that they would be home soon. And that she could sleep once they were.

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Come Plot With Me <3

» Meet Up with Victoria (Victoria and Adaline)
» You again! (Victoria)
» Please Be Okay (Victoria)
» I ought to say no, no, no sir (Victoria)
» What Does the Fox Say? (Victoria)