Cause I got a smile on

I'm an ex-con

That just got off parole

-Victoria Justice

8:47 AM - East Hollywood Female Detention and Juvenile Center

"Vega! Vega baby be sure and write to us!"

"Keep on singin' mama! You go girl!"

"Keep out of trouble from now on! Someone hustles you, you hustle back!"

East Hollywood was alive with noise, woman pounding the floor of their cells with their boots, and rattling the bars with clenched fists. 17 year old Victoria Vega could only smile as she was guided away from her home of two years, listening to the music made by her makeshift family as they cheered her out the door.

It was a breath of fresh air as the first gate heading out was closed behind her, the noise of the other inmates still echoing through her bones as one of the guards unlocked the cuffs around her wrists, and another released the chains about her ankles. The click of the metal falling from about her skin was deafening, and a deep breath escaped her worn throat as she was given a hard slap to the shoulder.

"Get out of here Vega," the woman mumbled with a twinkle in her eye, "don't let me see you here ever again,"

"Sure thing, Chief," Tori stated with an awkward half salute, turning to the open doorway before her. It was like a dream as Tori walked forward, head held high as she passed into the front hall of the Detention Center for the first time in two years. It smelled heavily of lemon floor cleaner, and the white LED strip lights caused the half Latina to squint. But she was out. She was really out!

"TORI!"

Breaking from her thoughts, the ex-con was nearly bowled over by a pair of strong arms as she stumbled and caught her balance.

"T-Trina?"

"I'm so happy to see you!"

Throwing her arms around the elder Vega sibling, Tori squeezed her sister tightly for the first time in months. Sure she came to visit often, but this was the first time Tori got to hug her sister as a free woman. This made her hold on even tighter, as though this whole experience was just some sick dream.

"Oh my god, Tor," pulling back and holding her sister at arms length, Trina took her in, "you look amazing. Look at this...this muscle? What happened to my little sister!"

"Ah, yeah there's not much else to do but work the weights around here,"

Accentuating the point by flexing an arm, Trina fanned herself dramatically as she feigned a swoon.

"Goodness! Such a lady killer,"

"Ha, funny," rolling her eyes, Tori glanced past her sister to eye her parents. Unlike her enthusiastic sibling, the two of them were less willing to stand and greet her. Folding her arms over her chest, Tori swaggered forward a bit. She was met with the broad chest of her father, Police Chief David Justice (neé Vega). The look on his face was hardly that of a father, but Tori couldn't find it in her to care.

Trina visited her in prison every month on the dot. Holly, her mom, came on occasion though it was only a few times a year. David hadn't visited once, he didn't even sign the two birthday cards Tori got while in East Hollywood. Meeting the man's steely gaze unwavering, the teen snarled slightly.

"David."

"Victoria. Good to be out?"

"Better then good. The best feeling ever." Shrugging half heartedly, Tori looked away as she felt a hand on her shoulder. Holly was there beside her husband now, the softest of smiles on her otherwise tense features.

"Good to finally have you back, Tor,"

"Thanks mom,"

Shrugging the woman's hand off gently, David looked down at her pointedly, but said nothing. Turning on a heel, the teen approached Trina, who gladly threw an arm over her shoulders, "I think I want to get out of here, Treen."

"Of course sistah-sistah! I brought my own car!"

"You're driving now?"

"Yeah! Ohmigosh you're going to absolutely die Tori, you'll love my ride,"

Holding her shoulders in a secretly reassuring way, Tori nodded to her parents as she was practically dragged out into the sunlight. Breathing deep as she halted on the front steps, Trina stopped running as Tori took it in with childlike wonder. Two years felt like a lifetime when you spent most of your hours in a six by eight concrete box, "Tor? Everything alright?"

Blinking and shaking from her thoughts for the second time that day, Tori nodded.

"Sorry, Treen. Just, thinking."

"Well stop thinking! I know exactly what you want right now."

"A cheeseburger with fries?"

"Yes!"

Suddenly giddy, Trina squealed along with her little sister, jumping to the fancy red convertible parked at the curb, "hop in and we'll get going!"

"Wow, nice ride!"

Admiring the car for a moment, Tori got into the passengers seat hurriedly as she turned to look at the building she called home for the last 730 days. Pressing a kiss to her palm as Trina revved the engine, Tori tossed the momento behind her with a cry of joy as they skidded off towards the nearest fast food drive-thru. She was a free woman now, and she was going to make the most of it.

A/N: Hello all! Rose here, and man has it been a hot minute since I wrote anything for this fandom. Imagine my surprise coming back here after so long and finding this place still active! It's incredible. Anyway, this whole story was inspired by the one song lyric from Here's 2 Us — a personal favorite; and I wanted to write a little thing.

Please tell me what you think! I love getting comments on my work. Till next chapter, enjoy!