Demon Child 3
by John O'Connor
Disclaimer: Victorious and its characters are the property of Schneider's Bakery and Nickelodeon. This story is for entertainment purposes only and no money exchanged hands. No copyright infringement is intended. The original characters, situations, and story are the property of the author. No profit is intended or wanted for this story.
Summary: A member of the family?
Jade came down the stairs, yawning. Seeing Tori on the sofa, she asked, "What the hell do you do on Saturday mornings?"
"Breakfast and old movies on TCM."
"Huh! That's it?"
"Well, I plan what I want, or have, to do later." She glanced over her shoulder, "There's fresh coffee in the coffee maker. Sugar's in the cabinet near the door to the garage. And Eggos in the freezer or BooBerry in the cupboard."
"Thanks." Then Jade looked over her shoulder, "BooBerry? Really?"
"Hey! I like it! And Boo is cute!"
With a sigh, Jade said, "If you gotta get some presweetened cereal, at least get Cap'n Crunch."
"With Crunch Berries?"
"If that's what floats your boat, Vega."
A few minutes later, as Jade sat down, Tori said, "Jade, you're a guest here. If you have things you do on Saturdays, go ahead and do them."
"Thanks, Vega. What's on?"
"It's an old movie serial, Ace Drummond. They show a chapter a week for twelve weeks. Afterwards, they'll show a B-reel movie before the more known movies that air through the afternoon and evening."
"I know what TCM shows. I meant what are we seeing now?"
"Well, that guy, Ace, is a pilot fighting the Dragon and his mob in Mongolia. The Dragon wants the airline out of the area. Don't know why yet but it's only the third chapter, Door to Doom. Or something like that."
"Sounds cheesy as hell. I think I'll like it! Even if Mongolia looks like the San Fernando Valley."
They watched the silly, entertaining movie chapter unwind until the apparent death of the hero as the episode closed. Tori spoke up, "I love that they only show a chapter a week like when these were part of the Saturday matinees back before the war."
"Wanna see a movie?" Jade asked later.
Checking her phone to see what was playing at the Pacific Theaters at the Grove. "Sure. I hear Salinger is really good. But I like the Riddick movies too…"
"Let's see Riddick. I'm not really in the mood for a documentary. But, I'm not expecting much. The last movie was okay but nowhere near as good as Pitch Black."
The theater at the Grove had a matinee that started at noon. They left at 11:15 – Jade figuring that was plenty of time to drive, park, hit the restroom and get whatever from the snack bar.
As Tori tried to pay, Jade yanked her away from the ticket window and paid for their tickets. She also paid for her popcorn, large Coke and Tori's snacks – popcorn, Diet Coke and gummy worms.
"God, Vega… What you eat…" Jade muttered, shaking her head while Tori shoved a handful of corn and a gummy bear in her mouth.
"Wha…" the singer tried to say with a mouthful of popcorn and jellied sugar.
"Never mind. Watch the movie!"
"It hasn't started yet!"
"Watch the lame commercials before the previews."
After the movie, they walked around the mall. Tori admired the fashions on display and Jade criticized the same clothes.
After several hours of good-natured bickering, they left and returned to the Vega home.
As they drove back home, Jade said, "Vega… Tori, I do think of you as a friend. A good friend. I have. For a while now."
"Jade…"
"Don't get sappy! I just wanted to tell you."
"Then why…?"
"I do have an image. I've known the rest of our…group since the second or third grade but I still treat them the way I do."
"Guess I should feel privileged," Tori joked.
With no trace of humor, Jade replied, "You should!"
Then she glanced over to see Tori beaming. She shook her head but still couldn't help but return the smile with a smaller smile.
As they walked in, Holly said, "About time! Tori, set the table. Jade, can you give me a hand?"
"Sure."
Soon, as Tori set the table for five, Holly said, "No, six. Sophie's coming over."
"Aunt Sophie? Ah, that's great!"
Meanwhile, Jade was grating a large block of parmesan cheese while glaring hatefully at an equally large slab of mozzarella. The Goth muttered, "She better do the dishes too!"
"No, Trina gets those," Holly said. As if in response, her phone rang. "Yes? Trina! But Aunt Sophie is…" A huge sigh, "Alright! Call me later, okay?"
"What?" Tori asked.
"Trina isn't going to be here for dinner. She's going to see some band at the Roxy."
"Cat's going to the Roxy too," Jade said. Then, grabbing the other hunk of curdled milk, she muttered, "Tori better do the dishes."
Aunt Sophie turned out to be a beautiful, brunette woman. Her brown hair fell to her shoulders with a slight curl. She had a small, barely noticeable mole just below the right corner of her lips. Open, expressive eyes missed nothing as she took in her brother's home and the people there – for the hundredth time since they moved in. A very friendly woman, she pulled Jade into a hug, saying, "Welcome to the family!"
Jade pulled back, "Whoa! Thanks, but I'm just staying here as long as I have to before my old man wises up."
"You're living here and sharing dinner. That's close enough. Holly, did she help you fix dinner?" Holly nodded in agreement with her sister-in-law. Sophie smiled, turning back to Jade, "See? Holly doesn't let just anyone help out with dinner. I'm a danger in the kitchen beyond coffee or toasted bagels. My little Towy is the same."
"Towy?" Jade laughed.
"She had trouble with the letter 'r' when she was little. All kids do. I bet you did too."
"Nooo, Jade was perfect! Just ask her," Tori said sarcastically but with a small, disarming smile.
"She's right. I came out speaking the King's English like a pro…" Jade said in a very serious voice.
Laughter filled the room.
David walked into a room full of laughter and family. He loved it.
"'Bout time, you lazy SOB! Where the hell have you been?" Sophie demanded of her older brother.
"Uh, working? Maybe you've heard of it?" Even as she snorted in disdain, she pulled her sibling into a big hug.
"You big doofus! I don't have to work! I married well. And divorced better," Sophie said with a large laugh.
David turned to the newest resident of his household, "Jade, how are you doing? Fitting in okay? These…ladies can drive you nuts!"
"If Vega is any kind of example, I know what you mean. All too well!" Tori stuck her tongue out at Jade. "Real mature, Vega."
"It's Tori! Tori! Any idiot can say it!"
"Say what?"
"Tori."
Jade started to laugh uproariously as Tori stared at her. When she got the joke, she glared at the Goth. "Dammit, Jade!"
"Ooo, language," Jade said, wagging her finger in Tori's face.
Sophie roared with laughter and her brother and his wife joined in. Towy was the only one not laughing but glaring.
Soon, she had to give in and started to chuckle too.
"Holly let her grate the cheese," Sophie said after the laughter died.
"Well, 'let' is kind of a strong word…"
David interrupted the Goth, "Wow, I can't even cut the cheese…"
Sophie didn't waste any time with David's unintentional opening, "God knows that's not true! Jade, if you use the bathroom after him, you may wanna light a match first!"
"You're no bed of petunias either!" David countered, naming his sister's favorite flowers.
Before the bathroom humor went too far, Tori quickly asked, "How's Onkeemo?"
"Oh, he is so adorable. Except when he chewed the strap of my Louis Vuitton…"
The five of them settled onto the couches and talked while the adults had some of the wine Sophie brought and the two teens drank less potent concoctions.
Naturally, Sophie had to find out why this unknown girl was living in her brother's house. The story came out and Sophie was getting angrier and angrier.
"That BITCH! I… I wanna mess her up! Really bad. David, you still have that trowel and bag of dry concrete?"
"Ye-es, a half-bag now... Uh, why?"
"I'm gonna cement her cooch closed!"
Jade laughed, "I like you, Sophie!"
Sophie laughed and her anger faded – some. "I like you too, Demon Spawn."
"SOPHIE!?" David yelled.
"No, it's okay. It's funny when she says it," Jade stated.
To calm the discussion, Holly said, "I think I actually have a really good case. Mason, Matlock and Vega has a really good detective agency on retainer. Drake's operative already managed to get some statements from the West servants. They back up what Jade said. Not that I doubted that would be the case."
"And…?" Tori asked.
"If we want to really press it, as Jade's still technically a minor, there's the abandonment issue. Then there's the domestic abuse and… Anyway, there's plenty we can use. Just after a day. Should even be able to get you home, Jade."
"I…" Jade glanced at Tori, which caused Sophie to narrow her eyes knowingly. "I'm not sure I can ever live there again."
"You're always welcome here, Jade. Right, Dad? Mom?"
"Of course!" David said.
"Jade, you're always welcome here," Holly nodded with a sweet, welcoming smile.
"Okay, let's lighten the mood," Sophie said. "Jade, what's your favorite movie?"
"Oh god…" Tori moaned, her face pressed into her palm, as Jade launched into a professional-level critique of her favorite movie.
Sophie did offer one comment, "I liked that one too. Not as much as you but… I did like the meatloaf scene in the extended edition. What about another genre?""
"Noir?" Jade asked. "I love The Maltese Falcon, both the Ricardo Cortez version and the Bogart one. The Big Sleep is a great one too. Oh, and Double Indemnity!"
Movies became the focus of the discussion as the smell of homemade lasagna filled the house.
When the timer went off, Holly pulled the tray of lasagna from the oven then slid in the cookie sheet with the garlic bread. Five minutes later, she announced, "Dinner's ready!"
The family, including their newest member, sat down to dine on the homemade pasta dish. The girls were even allowed two glasses of wine each – since they were not leaving the house that night.
"Jade, what dressing do you like?"
"Blue cheese, if you have it. If not, uh…"
"Got it. We've had it ever since Tori was little. It was the only way to get her to eat a salad," Holly snickered.
"Mo-om…" Tori whined.
After dinner, they settled back into the living room and Tori showed them Trina's 'high-quality entertainment with top-notch acting'. Of course, the network was showing a rerun that featured Tori and Jade as fellow Cheese Boobs.
"Good choice, Vega," Jade said, dryly even as the others were laughing. When the repeat image of Jade grabbed the large fork from one of the kids in a mouse costume, they started roaring.
"They left that in…" Jade muttered. "Weird people…" Then she looked around at the people around her – Tori next to her on the kitchen-side couch and the three adults on the half-couch nearer the front door. This must be what it's like to be in a real family… I think I can get used to this.
As she was leaving, Sophie gave everyone a big hug. As she came to Jade, Tori warned, "She's not a hugger…"
"Don't care. She's getting one," Sophie said. Jade froze but slowly moved her arms to lightly embrace the older woman.
Sophie said, "I like her! She's s keeper!"
"A keeper? I'm not a pet!"
"No dear, not that way. I was talking to Tori. In case she hasn't told you yet, she likes you. A lot!"
"AUNT SOPHIE!?"
"What? She likes you too, Tori!"
"SOPHIE?!"
"Jade, if I don't say something, how long will you two dance along the edge?" She laughed and walked out the door, whistling the old Concrete Blonde song.
"Dance Along The Edge…" Holly muttered with a smile. "We all loved that song. Still do, actually." David was also whistling the tune as he waved to the departing car and came back in.
"Me too! I love Johnette Napolitano. Saw her live a couple of times. Solo and with Concrete Blonde. She was a Goth doll. Had kind of a crush on her." David quickly looked at his wife, "Well, that was before I met you…"
"Good save, buddy!" Holly said.
Meanwhile, Jade and Tori pointedly did not look at each other. Finally, Jade muttered, "G'night."
Then she disappeared up the stairs to the guest room.
Tori stared at her hands, ignoring the looks from her father and mother before Holly nodded towards their younger daughter. Then she relented and turned to empty the dishwasher.
David came over and sat next to Tori, taking her hand gently. "Hey, it's okay. You know Sophie. She's always been like that. She was the one who got me to finally decide to ask your mom out. She saw how I was mooning over her while Mom waitressed at the IHOP near campus."
"But Dad, this is… I mean…"
"Don't go down that river. You're not Cleopatra and this ain't no Nile barge. Anyway, remember how many times I found you going through those old Playboy and Penthouse collections I inherited from my dad? I kinda knew then. And, of all the people you've dated, Jade is easily the best."
"But we're not dating! And she barely likes me! And definitely not like that!"
Holly came into the living room. "I think she does. I'm not as good as my dear sister-in-law but I saw some of the covert looks Jade gave you."
"Covert looks. I like it," David said.
"Quiet! I'm trying to talk to our daughter, not impress you, you goof!"
"Mom, I… This is Jade. She's hated me since I started at Hollywood Arts! She only came here the other night 'cuz she had nowhere else to go…"
From the head of the stairs, they heard, "That's not true. Tori, like I said earlier, I've thought of you as a friend for a while. Actually, I've considered you a friend since that stupid stunt of mine during the stage fighting class when you didn't narc on me. And…"
Jade came down the stairs with a rare, hopeful look on her face. "Tori, the reason Beck and I broke up over the summer - after you helped us get back together at the Full Moon - was because I liked you more. He saw that and let me go so I'd go to you. But I didn't. I was too scared. I never thought you'd feel that way. You were Sweet Sally Peaches who never…
"Tori, your aunt is right. I do like you. A lot. Now, if you want me to leave, I will. I can stay with Cat and Sam or even with the Olivers…"
Realizing Jade missed the beginning of the conversation, Tori stood up, "No. I want you to stay. We can…see what happens. But, more than anything, I wouldn't throw out a friend. No matter what!" With a smartass smile, she added, "Even you…"
This time, Jade initiated the hug. Even as she did so, she whispered, "Don't get used to this. I'm just feeling unusually vulnerable."
"Okay Jade," Tori replied, her eyes closed as she enjoyed the embrace.
On the road to LA, June 20, 2018…
Passing Barstow, the highway curved south then west towards Victorville. Near San Bernardino, they would turn off I-15 onto I-210 and head west for home.
David quietly said, "Jade, if I didn't say it before, welcome to the family."
Fingering her new wedding band – identical to her wife's - the newlywed smiled, "Thank you, David. You have and I've always felt that." Then she grinned, "Now, about that honeymoon cruise you and Holly promised…"
David snorted a laugh. "We'll talk when everyone is conscious."
Then, in the ensuing silence, Jade kissed the top of her wife's dozing head. She heard Tori murmur as arms wrapped loosely around her. Jade whispered, "I love you, Towy."
In a sleepy whisper, Tori muttered, "I love you too, my demon child…"
