Pretending to Fake True Love
Chapter Nine: Family Dinner
February 15, 2017 – Six-and-a-Half Weeks Pregnant
Tori took a deep breath as she pulled into the West family's driveway, and she caught Jade's amused smirk out of the corner of her eye. "You're sure he's not going to suddenly change his mind and kill me because you're pregnant, right?" she asked wryly, turning to face her girlfriend, only half-joking.
"I'd say there's a good chance you'll make it through the night," Jade teased, as a wicked smile played on her lips. "Come on, let's go inside. I'm starving," she added, placing a hand on her belly for emphasis.
At her appointment, Jade hadn't been surprised to hear that she was down to one-hundred-nineteen pounds from her usual one-hundred-twenty-four. The morning sickness had stolen a bit of the padding from around her midsection, but with the way that her appetite had started picking up a bit the past few days, she knew it was only a matter of time before she started putting on the baby weight.
"Well, I can't have my girls starving," Tori said dramatically, flashing the other girl a grin before she hopped out and moved around the front end of the car to open Jade's door for her. "Just let me grab your bag out of the trunk."
Jade smiled to herself as Tori got the shopping bag out of the trunk. The more time that she spent with Tori as her girlfriend, the more she found herself looking forward to their date on Friday. She was drawn out of her thoughts when she heard the trunk close, and she turned to lead the way into the house.
"Mom, Dad?" Jade called as the front door shut behind her. Upon hearing her mother's voice from the direction of the kitchen, she made her way there, letting out a quiet moan as the scent of her mother's homemade spaghetti and meat sauce wrapped around her.
Jaina looked up from the loaf of freshly baked bread that she was slicing, and a smile formed on her face as the teens entered the room. "Hi, girls. How was your shopping trip?" she asked curiously, before noting the large bag that Tori was still carrying. "I see you were able to find a few things that you liked."
Jade hummed in agreement. "Yeah, one of the girls at the store helped me find some bras to try on, and then I ended up getting seven of the one that I liked the best," she said, absentmindedly reaching back to grab Tori's free hand and tangle their fingers together. She then grimaced as she remembered the situation in the dressing room.
"What is it?" Jaina asked with concern, though her lips twitched a little in amusement as she saw the way that her daughter took Tori's hand without even thinking about it. It was increasingly obvious to her just how comfortable Jade was with the young Latina, something she'd never have attributed to her daughter's relationship with that fluffy-haired moron that she'd been dating before.
Jade rolled her eyes and groaned in irritation. "The clasp on the bra that I put on this morning got stuck because it's gotten so tight in the past few weeks, and Tori had to help me get it undone," she admitted, leaving out that she'd been so frustrated that she'd actually cried a little before she got Tori to help her.
"Well, I'm glad Tori was able to help with that."
All three women looked at the entrance of the kitchen when Zachary's voice rang out sarcastically. Jaina shared a glance with her daughter, both of them silently acknowledging that it was probably going to be a long night for Tori, who frowned slightly but didn't comment.
Zachary's tone softened as he addressed his daughter. "I hope you used the credit card that I gave you last night, Jade. I don't want you using your allowance for any necessities like that. Your mother and I have no problem paying for anything that you need, baby girl," he said, throwing a not-so-subtle pointed glance at Tori as the words left his mouth.
Jade frowned at her father. "I was going to use the credit card, but Tori insisted on paying, actually," she informed him pointedly, not giving him a chance to respond before she turned to look at her mom. "We're going upstairs for a minute so that I can throw my new stuff into my laundry basket, and then we'll be back down after we wash our hands."
Jaina nodded, watching as her daughter swept out of the room, her girlfriend following without a word. Once she was sure the two were out of earshot, she turned on her husband. "Damn it, Zachary, what the hell are you doing?" she asked with exasperation.
He blinked innocently. "I'm just setting the table, dear," he said smoothly, as he grabbed the plates from the cabinet and moved to place them on the table. He knew exactly what she meant, but he was Jade's father and he had to do what he had to do.
Jaina sighed, knowing how stubborn he could be when it came to him thinking he was protecting their daughter. Usually, she couldn't fault him for that, but… "Whatever you do tonight, just don't push too hard, okay? Jade isn't going to be happy with whatever interrogation you have planned, and you know that she can be short-tempered when she isn't overly hormonal. I don't want you pushing her into making any rash decisions," she said warningly.
Zachary grimaced. He didn't respond as he mulled the thought over in his mind, before he steeled his resolve. He was only acting in the best interest of his little girl. He'd be careful not to take things too far, but he had to be sure…
Jade grimaced as she shut her bedroom door behind Tori. "I'm sorry about him," she said, reaching out to take the bag from Tori and nimbly snap the tags from her new bras. "He's just overprotective," she added, rolling her eyes as she gathered up the pile of bras and took them into the closet, tossing them into her basket.
Tori didn't respond for a moment. Neither of her parents had ever acted the least bit protective or caring toward her, so she almost couldn't understand it. She wouldn't understand it – if her parents hadn't been that way toward Trina, their precious normal, first-born child…
When she realized that she'd been quiet longer than she intended, Tori masked her distraction with a laugh before Jade could notice her sudden silence. "Don't worry about it," she said, walking over to carefully wrap her arms around Jade. "I love that he cares about you so much," she murmured truthfully. She never wanted Jade to feel like her parents didn't care about her because she knew just how much that could hurt.
Her arms snaked around Tori's waist, and Jade tucked her head into the crook of her girlfriend's neck to hide the smile that spread across her face. "Well, I'm glad you feel that way because I'm sure he's got a few tricks up his sleeve for you tonight," she muttered, placing a kiss on Tori's neck and nipping at the skin playfully before leaning back.
Tori hummed in pleasure from the sensation before smiling at the other girl when they had separated. "I'm sure, whatever he's got planned, I can handle it," she said confidently, leaning over to kiss Jade's cheek. "Now, why don't we wash our hands and head downstairs before your dad decides I must be up here taking advantage of his little girl," she said teasingly.
Jade chuckled as she pulled Tori into her bathroom, each taking a few minutes to clean up before she led the way downstairs and into the dining room just as Jaina was placing the serving dish of pasta onto the table. Her stomach growled and she deliberately ignored Tori's quiet chuckle from behind her.
"Everything looks great, Jaina," Tori complimented, reminding herself to use the woman's first name. The food smelled so good that she could hardly wait to dig in, but she forced herself to be patient as she took her seat, finding herself across from a pensive Mr. West.
"Thank you, Tori," Jaina accepted the compliment happily. "Well, let's eat, shall we?" She motioned for her daughter to fix her plate first. She could tell that Jade was hungry – her daughter and her husband were the only two people she'd ever known whose eyes got darker when they were hungry.
Zachary waited until after his family had filled their plates and Tori was fixing her own before he spoke, just as the girl set her plate back down on the table. "So, how did your appointment go this afternoon, Jade?" he asked with a smile, waiting for his opportunity to turn the conversation onto his daughter's girlfriend.
"It went fine, I guess," Jade said, looking to her mom, who nodded in encouragement. "We got to see the baby," she added with a grin, reaching into her pocket to pull out the folded-up ultrasound photo and handing it carefully to her dad.
Zachary grinned when he saw his grandchild for the first time. Despite his feelings about his little girl getting pregnant at seventeen, he couldn't deny that he was excited to meet his grandson or daughter in the next eight or nine months. "So, when are you due to have the baby?" he asked gently, handing the photo back to his daughter.
Jade's mouth happened to be full, so she nudged Tori and motioned for her to answer.
"Dr. Green said that the baby should be due around September 27th," Tori said, a smile automatically forming on her face.
Zachary looked at the young woman pensively, frowning a bit when he saw the genuine excitement on her face. "September? Tori, you mentioned to me before that you had plans to begin recording an album after graduation. I would imagine that by September you'll be finishing up the album and going out to promote it…" he said leadingly, surprised to see the knowing look that flashed in her eyes.
"It's possible, but I don't plan on leaving the immediate area at all until at least a few months after Jade has the baby," Tori said truthfully. She didn't want to miss anything, and she'd never force Jade to deal with a newborn baby all by herself, especially since it was their first child. "If necessary, I can promote the album entirely from L.A. and through radio interviews."
He frowned. That was actually a sensible plan, and he couldn't help but appreciate her dedication to being there for his daughter. "And what about after that? If Jade decides to attend college or starts auditioning for film roles, are you going to be around to support her and help take care of your baby, or are you going to be one of those parents that passes all the work off onto a nanny and whose kid grows up barely knowing who you are?" he asked condescendingly, his eyes stern.
"Zachary!" "Dad!" Jaina and Jade snapped at him simultaneously for the callousness of his question, but Tori shook her head at them.
"It's alright. He has a right to ask," Tori said grimly, meeting Mr. West's cold stare unflinchingly. "Mr. West, whatever you may think of me because I got Jade pregnant, I am absolutely not the kind of person who would ever abandon my child that way. I will always be there to care for our baby, and whatever Jade chooses to do in life, I will do anything I can to help her achieve her goals," she said firmly.
A smile spread on Jade's face, and she openly slipped her hand into Tori's, ignoring her father's burning gaze on the contact. For what seemed like the thousandth time since Tori had covered for her with her parents, Jade couldn't help thinking how thankful she was that Tori had offered to replace Beck as her baby's parent. No one had ever made her feel so cared for, not even her parents.
Zachary paused for just a moment at Tori's quick rebuttal of his attack. She hadn't even hesitated before responding. "That's all well and good, but words don't mean anything if you do nothing to back them up," he said scornfully, laying it on thick. "What about marriage? You didn't have any problem taking my daughter to your bed and taking what you wanted from her, but I don't see a ring on her finger." He didn't actually want his daughter getting married just because she was pregnant, but he wanted to see her reaction to the accusation.
A blush flared up in Jade's cheeks, and her eyes flashed dangerously. She couldn't believe that her dad was being such an asshole to Tori, and she was feeling protective of her girlfriend, particularly after their bonding experience in the doctor's office that afternoon and the way that Tori had been so sweet with her when they went shopping. She didn't get the chance to speak, however, before her girlfriend's temper got the best of her.
"How dare you say something like that about your daughter?" Tori practically snarled at the man. "You make her sound like some prostitute off the street," she said with disgust, ignoring the way that Zachary's eyes widened in realization of just what he'd accidentally implied. "There's no ring on her finger because I have far more respect for Jade than to propose to her just because she's pregnant, and I know she has too much respect for herself to accept for that reason. If Jade and I ever do decide to get married, it will be because we love each other and want to spend our lives together, not because of some ridiculous belief that marriage is some magical solution that's going to make all the problems of a teenage pregnancy go away," she finished her heated rant, glaring at her girlfriend's father.
When he saw the fire that flared up in Tori's eyes and the way that she held Jade's hand closer to her in a protective manner, he knew it was time to give up the game. He sighed before a small, wry smile formed on his lips. "I shouldn't have said that. I didn't think about what I was implying before the words came out. I'm sorry, baby girl," he said apologetically, looking morosely into his daughter's eyes, which returned his gaze coldly.
"Don't apologize to me," Jade said scornfully. She realized that her father genuinely didn't mean to insult her, but his attack on Tori hadn't been completely intentional and completely uncalled for.
Zachary nodded slowly in understanding before he turned his head to look at his daughter's girlfriend. "I am sorry, Tori. I shouldn't have made any of the accusations against you that I made tonight. I hope you understand that it wasn't because I had anything against you, personally. I just had to be sure that you were serious about taking care of my little girl, and I needed to see your honest reaction to the things that I said tonight," he said, shaking his head. "Now that all's said and done, I want you to know that I'm glad that Jade has you, and I'm looking forward to getting to know you. I suppose what I'm trying to say is…welcome to the family, Tori," he said sincerely, reaching out a hand in her direction.
Tori smiled in relief as she grasped the man's hand for a moment. "Thank you, sir. I know you were just protecting Jade, and I would really like to get to know both you and Jaina better," she said, gently squeezing Jade's hand as she spoke.
"Well, now that all the drama is done for the evening, dig in, everyone!" Jaina said warmly, reaching over to squeeze her husband's arm and sending an encouraging smile to her daughter.
Fortunately, the rest of evening passed peacefully, and Zachary smiled as his daughter walked Tori to the front door once everyone had finished their dessert. Movement in the corner of his eye caught his attention, and he raised an eyebrow when he saw his wife moving to peek out the window in the corner of the room – the one that had a perfect view of the front porch. He chuckled quietly as he joined her in discreetly waiting for the young couple to appear.
Jade grinned when she saw the sigh of relief that Tori let out as the front door closed behind them. "Well, you made it," she teased gently. "Thank you for standing up for me the way that you did tonight," she murmured, reaching out to wrap her arms around Tori's neck.
"I meant every word. I will always be here to take care of you and our baby," Tori said sincerely, leaning in to kiss her girl softly. "I can't wait for our date on Friday," she said with a bright smile when they pulled back from the kiss.
Jade grinned. "I don't suppose you want to tell me what we're doing…" she trailed off, smirking when Tori just laughed. "At least tell me how I should dress," she said, tilting her head and raising an eyebrow at her girlfriend.
Tori hummed as she thought for a moment. "That's fair," she agreed. "You'll need to dress nicely for what I've got in mind, but I wouldn't wear any heels," she hinted, looking at her girlfriend innocently when she saw the look of suspicion on her face.
"Alright," Jade relented with a small smile before she took a deep breath and winced slightly. "I think I might have eaten too much," she groaned quietly, leaning forward to rest her forehead on Tori's shoulder.
Tori laughed quietly, reaching out and raising Jade's shirt just slightly so that she could gently rub her girlfriend's stomach. "Does that help?"
Jade sighed deeply at the soothing feel of Tori's hand slowly circling her abdomen. "It helped a lot, actually," she said, pulling back and reaching down to take Tori's hand in her own. "I'll see you at school, tomorrow?"
"Of course. Meet me at my car when you get there. I have a little something for you," she responded with a smile, deliberately ignoring Jade's curious look.
Jake rolled her eyes wryly, knowing Tori wouldn't give away the surprise, regardless of what she might threaten the singer with. "Sure thing, baby," she said, leaning in for a goodnight kiss. She moaned when Tori's tongue slid slowly against her bottom lip, and she grinned when they pulled back. "I don't think I'll get tired of that anytime soon," she mused.
Tori chuckled. "Good night, Jade," she said, kissing her cheek and getting into her car. She waited until Jade went back into the house before she backed out of the driveway, both teens unaware that Jade's parents had watched the entire exchange.
Zachary smiled softly as he wrapped his arms around his wife. Seeing the interaction between Jade and Tori had reminded him of the way he'd rubbed Jaina's belly that way when she'd been pregnant with their little girl. He placed a kiss on his wife's head. If she cares for Jade the way that I care for Jaina, then I'm glad that she has her. I'm just glad the baby is hers and not that pathetic Canadian's…
To Be Continued.
A/N: So, it looks like Zachary is on board now – one hurdle down for Tori and Jade! But there's still the issue of Andre, and we're still waiting on Beck's reaction to everything once the truth comes out that Jade is pregnant… That should be fun, right?
Anyway, next chapter: Jade and Tori's first date! Any thoughts on what Tori might have planned?
Let me know if you've got any thoughts/ideas for the upcoming chapters! Thanks for reading, girls and guys!
-The Midnight Vale
Post-Script: If you're an Elitoria fan (Elizabeth Gillies/Victoria Justice), you should check out my Tumblr for Elitoria stories – themidnightvale …Nothing posted right this second, but I should have two stories up by tonight (4/19/17)!
