Disclaimer: I don't own Victorious. I make no money or profit from my writing.

AN: So yea I'm writing this as a sort of memorial to Victorious =,( I hear it's ending. It's my first time... so be gentle ;). Read, review, drop a line, feel free to leave any suggestions, ask me for my number and all that cool jazz. Heh heh jk :D Also, I'd like to add that I have no beta- this is freelance. It's not hot off the press, I did take the time to edit but lets be real- after spending hours writing your eyes tend to go haywire. I apologize in advanced for any typos.

"-damn it!... I thought I told you to be ready!... Son of a bitch the media is going to be all over this... why couldn't you-"

The string of curses went on forever. There was never an end in sight. She had learned a long time ago to deflect his tasteless tantrums. She watched him pace back and forth through the vanity mirror, her lips forming a thin hard line.

Daniel was a very handsome man, a very intelligent man, a very rich man. And a very abusive man. Somewhere between the time they got engaged and now he'd grown to become something that resembled more of a monster than a man. At first she'd been naïve thinking it was just the stress making him act different. Crazy. Then she began to wonder if perhaps his Jekyll/Hyde personality was her fault. Of course, like every other silly woman who loved her man too much to know what's good for her, she stuck around.

By the time she came around to her senses it was too late. She was on the wrong side of forty and twenty years of wine, cigars, and midnight brawls left her looking like she'd been a professional boxer instead of a house wife. His words not hers...

"-are you even listening to me?!" Daniel yelled, his face red and eyes dark. His reflection glared daggers at her but thanks to the mirror she could see him eye to eye. It was as if it took the blunt of the hit. Most days now she couldn't even stand to look at him because then he would know- he would know that she despised him more than anything else in this world. He would know that he disgusted him. And he would know she wasn't afraid. That just wouldn't do.

"Of course I am, dear." She said placidly, putting the last touches on her makeup. She even managed a grim smile. "I always do."

Daniel sneered, stalking up to her and placing his hands on her shoulders as he leaned down to whisper in her ear. "You'd better be," He growled, his eyes catching hers. "That's what you do best."

She tensed, her body betraying her schooled features. She kept his stare for a moment before breaking away. Daniel smirked, turning his face into her neck and taking a deep breath. She was wearing the perfume he'd bought her- the one she hated but wore anyway to please him.

Tori mentally screamed. Not in fear, but in a rage. She no longer feared him the way she used to. In fact, she pitied him. He thought he was in control of her, he thought he could manipulate her to his whim when that couldn't be further from the truth. That little fact didn't stop her from wanting to stab a nail file through his neck though...

"We should be leaving. The chancellor won't be pleased with your being late." She pushed herself up. And Daniel promptly pushed her back down. She caught his gaze in the mirror and found the anger was gone from his features. Lust glazed over his eyes, made the vein in his neck throb against his pale skin. "Daniel-"

"We're already late. We might as well make it worth while."

Tori smiled weakly, suddenly having the upper hand stolen from her. She could take his verbal abuse, could handle a few hits here and there. But she couldn't stand it when he put his rough hands on her, when he pressed his cold lips against her mouth in rough, harsh kisses that spoke nothing of affection but reeked of hatred and cruelty.

"We should go. You don't want to miss your award."

Daniel shrugged, dragging his nose across her slender neck. He enjoyed the way her pulse sky rocketed from a mere touch, the way her veins pounded against her skin- like a trapped animal seeking release from its cage. He had a power over her that no one else did, he had control were the very word was elusive. He'd always loved the fact that Tori was stubborn, determined, and strong. It was all the more fun to break her the way she'd broken him.

"Really, Tori, I have to insist." His eyes roamed over body, hugging every inch and curve as snug as the blood red dress she'd chosen to wear. "Isn't that why you're wearing such a provocative dress? Don't you want me to-"

"No!"

Her eyes widened, her hands coming up to cover her mouth. Had she said that out loud? Daniel's hands stiffened on her shoulders, his breathing heavy.

"What was that?" He asked, his voice dangerously low.

Tori sucked in a deep breath, the alarms in her head blaring. "I—I mean, not now. I want to see you get that reward baby." She took a hold of his hands, pulling them down into her lap so that he hugged her from behind. "It will be such a turn on." She added in what she hoped was a convincing flirtatious tone.

Daniel leaned back, drinking her in. He loved the way she sounded so needy when she asked for it. That's how it should be- not the other way around. He remembered the way they'd been back in high school with him following her around like a well trained dog, groveling and answering her every beck and call. While she grinned, enjoying his pathetic display of affection for her.

Glancing at his watch, he sighed. She was right. The Chancellor would not be happy with his being late. Even though the old bastard could do nothing about it. The business world was all about looking good. Smelling like roses while being knee deep in human shit.

He grabbed Tori's arm, dragging her up to her feet. "When we get back..."

"You're going to have the night of your life." Tori promised.

Daniel grinned, shoving her against his chest and smashing his lips against her mouth. "Count on it."

~~~~ThisLoveStoryGoesSomethingLi keThis~~

Laughter. All around her there was laughter. And Tori couldn't stand it anymore. It was suffocating her. It literally felt like hands wrapped tight around her throat choking the life out of her. How could people be so blind, so oblivious? So damn ignorant!

She snatched another flute of wine from a caterer and guzzled it down before slamming the empty glass on the plate and taking another. The young man gave her a weird look before hurrying on his way just in time to avoid a third glass being taken. She cursed under her breath, damning the boy to hell for taking from her the only thing that had made this horrendous night bearable.

"Oh, Tori-"

"I have to go to the bathroom. If you'll excuse me." She made a mad dash for the exit, ignoring the curios looks the patrons of the ball sent her way. By tomorrow everyone would be talking about the CEO's wife drinking like a sailor and running out in the middle of the celebration. She couldn't care less. She needed to get away from all the lies, from all the fake smiles. She needed to get away from Daniel. But mostly she needed to get away from this life of hers filled with nothing but disappointment, resent, and heartaches.

Outside the air was cool and refreshing and calmed the burning sensation in her chest. The ball room had been choked with the overwhelming smells of cologne and perfume, stifling the air. She drew a deep breath and felt her shoulders sag as she leaned against the railing on the balcony. A cool breeze brushed through her hair, soothing her.

"What am I going to do?" Tori wondered as she glanced up at the night sky. There were times when she felt like there was only one way out of the hole she dug. There were times when she really wished she could end it all. The last thirty or so years of her life were hell. She'd married Daniel right after their college graduation. The first few years of their life together were amazing. It was the things dreams were made of. That quickly changed.

She felt like she was trapped inside of a prison whose bars were not visible. Freedom teased her at every second but it remained just out of her reach.

With a small whimper, Tori tossed the champagne glass over the balcony railing. She watched the crystal glass spin slowly through the air on its way down. It felt like ages before it hit the ground and exploded into a million pieces upon impact... That is how she felt- she felt like a champagne glass, her life was the fall, and Daniel was the concrete at the bottom waiting to shatter her completely.

'When did my life get so screwed up?' She wondered sadly. And of course her brain had an answer, an answer she didn't dare give much thought. Except... except for the last couple of years it was all she could think about.

High school was high school. Everyone said it was the best years of your life and for most people that was an exaggeration. But not for her. High school really had been the best years of her life. She had amazing, wonderful friends -friends that, thanks to Daniel, she let drift away- her future had been as sure as ever, and she was just simply happy. Not because of her impending musical career or the great friends although that had something to do with it. No. She was happy because she had someone who loved her, someone who got her, someone who wanted nothing more than to make her day.

That someone was Jade.

Suddenly a burst of cold air hit Tori's back and seconds later muffled music broke the silence. She glanced over her shoulder to find one of the service boys looking at her expectantly.

"Mr-"

"I'll be there in a minute." She cut in, already privy to Daniel's antics. The young man fidgeted nervously, looking like he wanted to say something more. "What is it?" She asked, her tone terse.

"W-well ma'am, he insisted that I bring you back to him."

The fearful expression in the boys eyes told Tori everything she needed to know. Daniel threatened the kid. She closed her eyes, fighting back the tears pricking at the back of her eyes. All the desperation she'd felt over the years was coming back in full force leaving her breathless and shaky.

"Ma-ma'am? Are you okay?" The boy asked sounding concerned. He took an unsure step forward, his arm reaching out to her. "Do you need me to-"

Tori chuckled dryly, wiping at her eyes before fixing the boy with a stern look. "Do you ever wish you could just go back and do it all over again?"

"Ma'am?" His dark brows furrowed in confusion.

Her question wasn't that hard but she understood his confusion. If her guess was correct he must be around 22 or 23. At the prime of his life. He had nothing to regret and so her question didn't make sense to him.

She turned away from the boy, leaning over the railing to catch a glimpse of the night sky. She used to love watching the sunsets at the beach, hanging back until the sky glittered with stars. Sometimes they'd stay out for hours just watching the sky, talking quietly about everything and absolutely nothing at all. Jade used to tease her about it, but she never missed a night. She knew secretly she loved it, too.

"If I could go back and do things differently I would. I-" Her voice cracked, those stubborn tears burning. "I would do everything so differently. I—I wouldn't have gotten mad with her. She was only looking out for me. But you know when you're a kid the thought of love scares you. You don't want to be tied down. Freedom seems so much more appealing than love." She fell silent and was even grateful for the boy's lack of response. A minute passed which she used to recollect herself. Eventually the knot at the back of her throat disappeared. She fixed a smile on her face and took a deep breath. "Take me to my husband."

The boy nodded, extending his arm for her to take. They entered the brightly lit ball room and in an instant Tori felt the walls closing in around her. All the laughter, all the smiles- they meant nothing to her, did nothing for her. But she smiled back anyway and thanked them for their generosity though there was nothing to thank them for.

Finally she spotted Daniel among a group of men at the back of the room. For a moment the urge to turn around and run the other way caused her to pause. Her hesitation wasn't long enough for anyone to notice but the boy's arm drew her nearer to him. She looked up, about to protest, when his warm eyes silenced her.

"You're a beautiful woman. He should be thankful to be so lucky." He whispered encouragingly. He gave her a slight push towards Daniel. "Don't forget that. He's the lucky one."

Tori gawked at the young man, jaw slack and eyes wide. He winked at her, flashing her a boyish smile that undoubtedly made young women go weak in the knees. Slowly her features relaxed into a small smile. "What is your name?"

"Beck, ma'am."

"Beck," She repeated, finding she liked the name. It suited him. "Thank you."

Beck took a bow. "At your service."

Tori watched go him until she lost sight of him around a bend. She waited a few seconds, wanting to see him one last time but frowned when she didn't catch sight of him.

"What are you doing?"

Tori jumped, startled by the hot breath on her neck. She spun around. Daniel smirked. "Daniel."

"Were you expecting someone else?"

"Don't be ridiculous."

He raised a brow. "Am I being ridiculous?" He took a step towards her, the smirk fading from his lips. "I saw you flirting with that little prick. Do you really think he was attracted to you? With all the hot young pussy he gets you think he would go after an old-"

"Daniel. Stop. We're in public." Tori hissed. This scene was all too familiar. He was drunk, feeling like big shit after kissing ass with the executives, and about to humiliate her in front of three hundred people.

His features darkened, lips curling like a feral dog's. "Does it look like I give a shit?"

And he really didn't. She knew it. But she couldn't take this, not tonight. It would break her. "Daniel, please, let's just go-"

"Daniel, please!" He mocked, turning several heads.

Tori glanced around, offering apologetic smiles before whirling on her husband. "Don't be an asshole. Not in front-" She gasped, his hand moving so fast she never saw the slap coming until the left side of her face burned from the impact.

"Don't you ever raise your fucking voice at me aga-"

"Fuck you!" Tori snarled, shoving him away. This was it. She could feel it. The climax. It had all been leading up to this moment. Every slap, every bite, every bruise, every single word- it all led up to this. The anger in his eyes darkened his pupils and colored his cheeks. Murder was written in his gaze- a shark closing in on the scent of fresh blood. Her blood.

"I'm going to kill you, you bitch." He whispered, his voice loud enough for just her to hear. There wasn't a doubt in her mind that he would do just that.

Strangely enough, Tori couldn't bring herself to care. She was done. "Try it, asshole."

Jade hissed and cursed hotly under her breath, emerald eyes locked on a large silver needle piercing her pale, quivering flesh. She hated needles with a vengeance but couldn't bring herself to look away.

"Sorry," the young nurse mumbled. Unapologetic.

"Yeah, I can tell."

The nurse glanced up at her, blue eyes dancing with mirth. "You're such a big baby."

"You try getting skewered with a pipe." She snapped, jumping as the needle went through again. She noticed a substantially less amount of care on that one.

"Yeah, well, that's why I don't work in carpentry." Spencer deadpanned. With a final suture she placed the needle and forceps down and eyed her handiwork. "Looks like it should keep your guts intact."

Jade rolled her eyes, pushing herself up on her forearms to get a better look. The wound itself wasn't THAT bad. It ran diagonally about three inches above her bellybutton and ended just above her right hip. It wasn't all that deep or dangerous but it bled enough to make the boss himself take her to the ER. All in all it was just another day's work for her. Fortunately Spencer saw her before the doctor...

"Whatever. My getting hurt gets you the big paycheck." She sat up with a wince. Okay. So it hurt. Big deal. Everything hurt. It was a part of life. Snatching up her now ruined shirt she tried- and failed miserably- to get it over her head.

Spencer watched her with a growing grin. Jade was more stubborn than a mule. In fact, Jade probably gave the mule lessons. Chuckling, she took the shirt from her shaky hands and handed her her jacket instead. Jade flashed her a grateful half smile but otherwise remained silent. Spencer shook her head. Stubborn til the end.

"Not that I mind my paycheck, but I would prefer it if you weren't the cause behind the increase. It's like you have a giant bull's eye painted on you."

"I'll try not to walk into anymore randomly placed sawed off pipes."

"Jade," Spencer groaned.

"What?" The brunette feigned innocence.

"It's not funny."

"That depends on who you ask."

"I'm serious," the blonde frowned, "any higher and I'd be sewing up your small intestine."

Jade made a face, a mix between a wince and disgust. "That's gross, Spence."

"You're telling me, I'm the one poking at it... So... how did it happen anyway?" Jade tensed, her eyes quickly darting away. Her actions screamed one word. Guilty. "Oh."

Jade sighed, combing her calloused fingers through her messy hair. "Spence-"

"It's okay... You, uh, must have been pretty distracted to walk into a broken pipe and not notice it-"

"I didn't walk into the pipe." She interjected softly, refusing to meet her gaze. "One of the guys backed up the lift. I was looking right at it but it.. it just didn't click."

"Oh."

Jade looked up, Spencer's downtrodden voice forming a knot in the pit of her stomach. She managed a weak smile for the blonde. "Hey, why don't we go grab a few beers? I'm off the next couple of days and I know you have a three day weekend coming up."

Spencer pursed her lips, trying to read the foreign emotion flashing in the brunette's eyes. "I don't know..."

"Come on, Spence. Please?"

Jade didn't make or have many friends which was a damn shame if Spencer said so. The brunette was so funny, so animated, and once you got to know her, caring and loyal. Still, she preferred to keep a low profile. But when she did venture every now and then she made three things perfectly clear: One- she didn't like stupid people. Two- don't call her, she'll call you. And Three- the most important rule of all- Jade West doesn't beg.

The fact that she said please made her head spin. She must feel pretty crappy. And she should. But she couldn't bring herself to say that.

"Okay, Jade. I'll go."

Jade smiled a real, genuine smile this time as she scooted off of the gurney and zipped up the leather jacket. "Great. Want to grab a bite on the way?"

Blue eyes widened. "Dinner and a drink? Don't tell me you hit your head, too?"

"Haha, very funny. Why are you acting all surprised any way? I always take you out."

Spencer's grin softened into a sad smile. Jade bit her lip. She'd said the wrong thing again but she couldn't figure out what. "You're right. You do." They remained in silence for a bit, watching each other until Spencer broke their stare. "So what are we waiting for? Lets go."

Jade opened her mouth to say something then promptly shut it. Whatever she said, Spencer was willing to overlook it. It didn't make things right in the long run but for the moment things were okay between them. She forced a smile to her face and snatched the blonde's hand into her own.

~~ThisLoveStoryGoesSomethingLi keThis~~

A three course meal, thirty minute walk, two six packs, and one intense make out session later found Jade sitting up in the dark resting against the headboard of Spencer's bed. Aforementioned nurse had finally given in to the lulls of sleep after a long day and late night. Her head rested against Jade's bare chest, her hand laying across her stomach. Their legs were slightly tangled, the sheets bunched around their feet but she didn't mind the cool air against her hot skin. Spencer had fallen asleep seconds before their lust got the best of them and although initially disappointed, Jade didn't mind the lack of sex all that much now.

Running her fingers through the soft blonde hair had always soothed Jade before. But now she found nothing she did could ease her mind's turmoil. Lately all she could think about was the past. More specifically, of a past lover.

In almost forty years Tori Vega hadn't crossed her mind more than once. She'd forced herself to forget the Latina and everything associated with her going as far as purposely losing touch with their shared friends and even moving out of town to ensure her isolation.

Over time however she found thoughts of the Latina eluding her until one day she woke up and realized everything was going to be okay.

Or so she thought.

The next few years went by in a blur of uninteresting crowds, bad dates, one night stands, and bullshitting her way through college. By the time she graduated she didn't even recognize herself. It was then she realized she wasn't exactly over Tori- the breakup messed her up more than she thought. Even six years later she was torn up about it and sticking her tongue down other people's mouths didn't solve her problems.

So packed up and moved back to LA.

By then Tori and her high school sweetheart Daniel were engaged and set to marry. If any news had broken Jade it had to be that. So she was lost again, lost, lonely, and angry with herself. Fortunately six years was enough time for her to grow and mature a little bit. It hurt that Tori went off and married the first douche bag that smiled her way but she was done being a lap dog. Despite a Master's Degree in music production, she went out and got herself the most distracting, bizarre, and unconventional job she could find. She'd been working construction ever since. It was the distraction she needed to get her on her feet. She'd never fallen in love again, never found that special someone that made her head spin and stomach do flips the way Tori did. However, recently she'd bumped into Spencer.

Spencer was a gorgeous, five foot five honey blonde with striking blue eyes, a blinding white smile, and a personality to match her outer beauty. She'd been the nurse on staff the night a hundred pound cinder block fell on her foot and crushed the crap out of her. Granted she was delirious from the insane amount of pain and then from a good dose of morphine but she'd retained enough charm and wit to impress the then 25 year old rookie. A few weeks later they went out on a couple of dates but they never went official.

Five years later found them doing this- dancing around each other during the days and clinging to each other for dear life during the nights.

She wasn't exactly sure why things with Spencer didn't work out. As far as she was concerned the blonde was perfect in every sense of the word. It pained her to admit it but she had the feeling it had more to do with a certain brown eyed Latina than she cared to admit. She didn't understand why Spencer chose to hang around a beat up old construction worker like her either. With a good head on her shoulders and a body and personality to die for she could have men and women lining up down the block to get a chance with her...

Jade took a deep breath and turned to stare out the window, her hand stilling over Spencer's. On nights like this she wished she could drive over to the hills, sit on the hood of her car, and watch the stars twinkle across the sky. If there was anything Tori related she allowed herself to enjoy it was that. As teenagers they'd done it a lot. Almost every night for three years. Tori absolutely loved watching the sunset and staying out late to count the stars- something she'd found pointless then but missed fiercely now.

When was the last time she allowed her thoughts to linger on the Latina longer than a few seconds? Why was she suddenly popping into her head after all this time? The answers were so simple, so honest, that they terrified her. Lately her thoughts were consumed by her and she had no reason why. Just today she'd caught herself staring intently at a fellow worker's wife. Her hair wasn't the right shade of brown, nor her eyes, nor her skin, but just for a second her mind was tricked into believing that maybe, just maybe...

And then she'd been rocketed into reality by a piercing pain in her stomach that laid her out for a few minutes.

Her fingers wrapped around Spencer's, the blonde's hand laying gently over the wound. She traced the puckered flesh with the tip of her finger distractedly, her gaze lingering out the window.

"Can't sleep?"

"No..."

Spencer placed a quick kiss on Jade's knuckles before pushing herself up against the headrest. Her eyes stayed on Jade's shadowed profile even as her mind wandered off.

"Is the cut bothering you?" She asked for lack of anything better to say. She got the feeling she was interrupting, stumbling in on an intimate moment for Jade.

"No..."

A pang in her chest pleaded her to stop asking questions. One day she would learn to listen to her instincts. "It's Tori, isn't it?... You miss her."

Finally Jade tore her gaze away from the window and focused Spencer's. "Why are you with me, Spence?" She suddenly asked. Upon no response, she ducked her head. "I'm no good for you."

Spencer opened her mouth to respond but found her words caught in her throat. A year ago she wouldn't have hesitated to respond, "Because I love you." But now... things were more complicated now. Or less complicated actually. Jade never really said much about Tori but she knew the woman was the cause behind Jade's inability to love her. She knew with certainty that no one could ever even dream of taking her spot. She'd come to terms with that and thought that given time she could learn to live with it.

It just... wasn't that easy anymore. Every day she loved Jade more, and every day Jade loved her less. No.. That wasn't right. Jade didn't love her less. Jade really did love her just... she just wasn't in love with her. Never had been. Never would be. Her heart was only big enough for one. That spot was already taken.

"I don't know." She said simply. The barest truth.

Jade nodded slowly, lips forming a hard line on her pale face. "Do you... I don't know, do you ever wish you could go back? Change things?"

Spencer flinched, sucking in a deep breath. Sometimes even looking at the brunette hurt like a heart attack. But thinking of her life without Jade, well, it brought tears to her eyes.

"J-Jade-"

The sudden blaring of a cellphone startled the blonde. She glared at the device, ready to destroy it for interrupting.

Jade glanced at the cellphone. "You should get that. It might be important."

Spencer rolled her eyes but snatched up the vibrating contraption with half a mind to chew out whoever the hell it was. "Hello?" She growled.

"Hey! Spencer, I'm so glad you answered! I just wanted to know how Jade's doing. I heard she got hurt. Is she okay?"

The lump in her throat dissolved, her features softening. "She's doing fine. It was a minor accident. Nothing too serious."

"So she'll be okay?"

"Ship shape in a few weeks. Who is this?"

"It's Beck."

"Oh. Okay. Jade's awake right now, actually. Did you want to speak with her?"

"Oh, no, that's fine, it's late so I'll call some other time. I just wanted to make sure she's okay. Sorry for calling so late, Spencer."

"That's fine. Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

The line went dead. Spencer gazed curiously at the cellphone then set it down after a moment.

"Who was that?"

"Beck," She grunted as she rolled onto her side to face Jade. The brunette's dark brows furrowed as she continued. "He wanted to know how you were doing."

"Spence, I don't know any Beck."

A moment. "Are you sure? He seemed awfully concerned about you."

"I'm sure. I don't know anyone named Beck. Maybe he's a friend of yours?"

"He did call me by name. But... why would he ask about you?" She wondered. Then shrugged. "Whatever... Listen, I don't know, do you think maybe we should stop seeing each other for a while?"

Jade bit her lip. She felt torn. If ever there would be someone she wanted to be with it would be Spencer. When she felt herself slipping, Spence steadied her. When she felt herself falling, Spencer caught her. She'd become such a pivotal part of her life that thinking of the blonde going away left a bitter taste in her mouth.

But she couldn't keep doing this either, couldn't kept stringing her along in the hopes that one day (maybe) she could learn to be content again.

She pulled Spencer against her chest, leaning down to give her an electrifying kiss. All these feelings, all these emotions were fueling a flame she long thought extinguished. Their lips pressed and slipped against each other softly at first then gradually growing hungry, needy, and aggressive. When they finally pulled away they were panting and gasping for a much needed breath.

"We can think about it tomorrow." Jade whispered, pulling the blonde to lay on top of her. "Tonight I just want to think about you."

Spencer's breath caught in her throat. Jade's words came across loud and clear. Tonight I just want you to distract me from what I really want. You're a close second. A consolation prize.

She gave the brunette a soft peck on the lips, pulling her arms around her as she rested her head on her chest. "Okay."

The next morning she woke with a start. Ten seconds into consciousness she knew this was going to be a shitty ass day. Her fucking head was killing her, her body felt sore and stiff, and she didn't even remember going to sleep. She knew she'd had one too many beers with Spencer but that was the extent of it.

"Shit. Spence? Can you get me a few aspirins, please?" Silence. Jade frowned. "Spencer?" Spence was not the hit and run type. If she did actually leave it meant things were way worse than she'd thought. "Spencer?" She called again, then froze, her expression a mask of horror. What the hell was wrong with her voice?

She threw herself out of bed and panicked. Why the fuck was her room so dark? A dizzying thought crossed her mind. What if she'd been kidnapped in the middle of the night? A wave of nausea caused her to stumble. She'd seen the movies, knew it was just a matter of time before the torture began...

'Get a fucking grip on yourself.' She growled at herself. 'Just calm down and think. Maybe Spence blacked out the windows.'... Right. 'Shit, I'm going to die!'

"Jade! Are you awake? Breakfast is ready."

Breakfast?... And that voice...

She ran to the wall where she knew the light switch would be -years of routine had engrained it into her body- and flipped the lights on. A scream worked its way out of her throat.

"Jade?! Honey, are you okay? I'm coming up!"

'Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap! Crap!' "Uh-uh- no! Don't come up here!" She shouted then slapped a hand to her mouth. Her reflection stared back at her, wide eyed and slack jawed. But it wasn't her reflection! But it was! It was but it wasn't! It was her alright. Just thirty years younger.

"What's going on up there?" Her mother's voice drifted through the closed door.

Wide eyes snapped to the shaking doorknob. She never locked the doors. Why would she? She had her own swanky condo with no one to answer to but herself. But seventeen year old Jade definitely locked the doors.

"N-nothing. Jeez, mom, why can't you ever back off?" She said the first thing she could think of. It sounded about right. She mentally conjured up her younger self, practically downloading her previous vocabulary and grammar skills. Or lack of.

"Why do you always act like such an ungrateful brat?" Her father's baritone voice boomed.

'Oh shit! Oh shit! This is a freaking nightmare!' Her brain screamed. "Like you'd know how I act. You're never here."

Her mother sighed. "Jade," She drawled.

"What? It's the fucking truth."

"Don't talk to your mother like that!" Her father shouted, a loud bang shaking the door. "Hurry up and get ready for school. I can't wait until you graduate and I can get rid of you."

"Yeah, well, same here. What are you still doing here? Isn't there some young dumb secretary you should be screwing right about now?"

"Fuck you, you little bitch." Her father yelled. She could imagine his beet red face, emerald eyes growing moist from anger. "Get the hell out of my house!"

"Leonardo, you can't-"

"The hell I can't! That little bitch thinks she can-"

Jade yanked the door open coming face to face with her mother and father. They looked exactly the way she remembered them. They hadn't changed a bit. Apparently neither had she. This was one big giant mind fuck.

"Fine. Not like I want to be here anyway." It was like word vomit. Once she'd started she couldn't stop.

She remembered her entire teenage lifetime being like this, with her mother constantly nagging and her father snapping his jaws at her throat like a blood thirsty pit bull. After she left for college she hadn't seen or spoken to them ever again. Every now and then she thought about them, wondered if they were alive and such. But she never felt the need to try and contact them. As far as both parties were concerned it was good riddance.

But standing in front of them now she didn't feel any of the obligatory curiosity she'd felt a few weeks ago. No. She felt a red hot burning rage aimed at her father, and an inexplicable amount of annoyance for her mother. Just the way she'd felt junior and senior year after she found her father fucking a secretary in the wine cellar. Her mother, dumb as always, did nothing about it. Hell, she even denied such a thing happened. Even though they'd both walked in on them.

They both stared at her. Her father still angry but a bit of concern flashing in his eyes. Her mother looked ready to have a cow.

"What the hell are you looking at?" She snapped, crossing her arms over her chest.

"What happened to you, Jade? Who did that to you?" Her father reached out for her. She ducked beneath his hand.

"What's your problem?"

"My problem is my daughter's jaw covered in bruises!"

She rolled her eyes, leaned into her room, snatched her keys off of the hook, and slammed the door shut behind her. "Whatever." Admittedly she was freaking, but her parents didn't see that. No. All they saw was their rebellious, at risk teenage daughter being her usual self. "Don't wait up for me."

She made quick work of the stairs and hallway but couldn't help drinking in every unchanged detail of her childhood home. It was if she went to sleep and woke up in the damn twilight zone. But if this was a dream, it was a damn realistic one.

She exited the mansion and headed to the garage. Nothing had changed, everything was as she remembered it. Her father's red Porsche sat outside in the front yard- standard for all the rich people. Inside the garage her mother's red Durango was parked next to her own ride, a black and blue 76' z28 Chevy Camaro.

Jade paused at the Camaro, running her fingers across the glossy paint. During her first year at graduate school she'd run into a bit of trouble. It ended with her sitting in a hospital for a month and her car looking worse than a tin can of beer. She'd never found another car quite in this mint condition. It was a damn shame really. It had been the only birthday present from her father that she didn't take a pair of sheers to.

"Hey baby," She cooed as she slipped into the smooth leather seat. With the help of Andre and Robbie they'd completely restored the inside. Cerulean blue leather interior, digital gauges, chrome touch ups, a Bose sound system, and a touch screen radio. They complimented the looks with a cold air intake filter, a supercharger, and flow master exhaust system. All in one summer. Her car was the envy of every muscle car aficionado in West LA.

Taking a deep breath she stuck the key in the ignition and felt the engine roar to life. "Damn I missed you." She smirked, patting the steering wheel lovingly. She sat inside her car for a few minutes, letting this entire situation sink in.

Last night she was thirty nine years old, a construction worker, lived in an apartment that she rarely saw, her life sucked because she was still in love with her ex, and she'd been in the company of Spencer. They'd fucked, talked, fucked some more, then crashed out. And now...

She flicked the rear view mirror and stared at her reflection. Where there'd been wrinkles and tanned leather like skin was smooth ivory as soft as a baby's butt. The crow's feet around her eyes were gone and the vibrancy had returned to her dull green eyes. The scars of a long life of labor were gone too leaving behind the untouched face of young woman. Well... mostly untouched. She winced as she fingered the nasty cut on her lip. Her jaw had seen better days. She tried to remember how she'd gotten the bruises but the memory eluded her.

"BITCH ITS A MESSAGE!"

Jade scoffed, shaking her head at herself as she snatched up the obnoxious iphone from the passenger seat. The message tone was the bane of her teachers', parents', and religious fanatics existence.

Hey, Jade. Hope you got in okay. Last night was fun. Lets do it again. C u in class. Love ya. -Cat

Cat... Fuck. When was the last time she'd seen Cat? Fifteen year ago? The redhead had gone on to become quite the actress. She tried to see a movie with Spencer once but found it too weird to see her once best friend naked and having sex on the big screen. Spencer shared her sentiment.

She typed back a quick message then stretched over the back seat to grab a pair of jeans and a white hooded sweatshirt. Her make up still looked to be in tact which told her in this reality she'd barely gone to bed if in fact she did at all.

"Shit, I sound fucking crazy." Hopefully there would be some answers waiting for her at school though judging by Cat's text she was the only one currently tripping on acid. "I can't wait to have Spence psychoanalyze me for this one," she said dryly, an image clear as day of the blonde popping into her head.

This was just one big, trippy ass, sky high dream. One she hoped she didn't wake up from until she saw it through. Even if it was a dream her heart was pounding in her chest now, her blood singeing her veins. Her limbs felt tingly, her stomach doing 360's. Nervousness, worry, apprehension, anxiety, anticipation.

Even if it was a dream she was going to see Tori for the first time in thirty years... She couldn't have gotten to the high school faster if she'd tried.