AN: Hi everyone, welcome to my latest update for this story; I hope you've all had a good weekend.
My thanks as always to everyone who read and reviewed chapter 9, and I hope that you all enjoy this chapter.
Challenge King – I'm glad that you liked the chapter and their song; again my thanks to One Horse Shay for suggesting it.
FFR-88 – the name was taken, she expects to be Tori Benson one day anyway so figured 'why not?'
Bade lover – I'm glad you're happy with that couple in this one.
Jeremy Shane – thanks and here is more.
Pbow – she could have shared but there was no hint to her that Jade wanted to; she was happy enough to let Tori sing for their supper last time so she maybe figured that Jade wouldn't want to.
SO62 – thanks, and here is what happened in Seattle over Christmas…
Chapter 10
8th floor, Bushwell Plaza
Seattle, WA
Thursday, 20th December 2012
Freddie smiled with mild relief as he and the blonde arrived in the hallway between the doors of apartments 8-C and 8-D; he was fond of Melanie but her almost non-stop chatter reminded him of Cat while her mild flirting during the flight had caused him to have to remind her, more than once, that he had a girlfriend already that he was perfectly happy with. She had giggled and dismissed it as her not being completely serious; he smiled along but had a nagging doubt, particularly thinking back to their first meeting, when he was convinced that she did not actually exist.
"That was a good flight up," the blonde in question observed with a smile of her own, "not too long – or too bumpy; I used to hate turbulence when flying to my private school and back. It's one of the reasons I didn't fly back and forth too often."
"Sam and Pam being the others?" the brown-haired boy guessed wryly; she nodded vigorously.
Right on cue the door to apartment 8-C opened; Freddie was literally seeing double as the other Puckett twin stared at the pair. Both sisters wore frowns as they eyed one another.
"Speaking of turbulence…" he quipped.
"Yuck, Fredward and Melanie, not exactly the perfect sight for when I open the door," Sam observed snarkily.
"Great to see you two sis," the good twin barked back, "and I guess that's why you never even bothered to see me all the times you've been in Los Angeles visiting him."
"All the times? There's been like two!"
"You know what, girls?" Freddie stepped between them. "Maybe you should take the yelling match indoors – oh hey Carls," he waved at the worried looking brunette as she made her way towards the gathering and seeing that it wasn't exactly the peaceful and joyous reunion that she had hoped it would be, "and I'll drop my stuff off and say hi to my mom."
He ducked past Sam, inside 8-C, and gave the brunette a quick one-armed hug (as his left hand was still holding his bag); she threw her arms around him and he kissed her cheek in greeting before he glanced towards her brother, who had taken a quick break from his latest sculpture at the onset of the commotion, and trading greetings with Spencer as well.
Carly released him and he slipped his arm briefly around Sam. "It's nice to see you too," he added with a hint of sarcasm, given her rather lukewarm greeting a few moments ago, before exiting the Shay apartment and reaching into his jeans pocket to retrieve the key for his mother's home. He needn't have bothered as he heard the lock unlatch from inside and the door shot open to reveal an elated Marissa.
"Freddie!" She flung herself upon her son. "Oh it's so good to see you."
"Hey mom, how are you?" he asked as he helped her to right herself and led her inside, taking his case with them; he pushed the door shut behind them, oblivious to the brunette staring after them as the blonde siblings bickered relentlessly by her left ear.
The Bensons spent a pleasant evening as mother and son talked about their lives; they spoke by phone a couple of times each week anyway so they mostly kept up to date with one another's lives but it was nice, Freddie had to admit, to be sat here talking to an altogether more relaxed Marissa than the one who had left him in Los Angeles some eighteen months earlier.
"Is T-Bo not off work yet?" he asked, looking around the pristine living area.
"No, he'll be here soon though; I even asked him to bring one of those strawberry smoothies that you liked so much."
"Oh thanks mom," he said brightly; he grinned as the thought of smoothies brought him immediately to his red-haired friend (and travelling companion's roommate).
"How's Tori?" she asked in slightly strained tones; she was still finding it a little difficult to accept that her son and his girlfriend were living together, particularly with another couple under the same roof.
"She's great, incredibly busy – which is why she's not here with us for Christmas – but she's doing really well. Actually…" he hesitated.
"What?" prompted Marissa with a mixture of impatience and foreboding.
"Ok, I want you to hear this from me so you get the whole story."
"Go on," the matriarch's nervousness was increasing as wild theories, including impending grandmotherhood, flew through her head.
"Tori's name was already taken in the actors' union when she landed the role in her movie so she needed another one – and she decided on Tori Benson. We haven't secretly got married," he insisted as his mother gasped, "we're not even officially engaged but," he pressed on, "I think forever is a little more strongly implied for us now. I just didn't want you to see trailers for her movie or her next album in the stores – she's going to eventually adopt Benson for her music as well – and think that we'd tied the knot without inviting you or even telling you." He smirked at his mother's gawp, "you'll definitely be invited to our wedding."
"I should hope so!" she spluttered eventually. "It will definitely happen then?" She wasn't sure how she felt at the prospect of gaining a daughter-in-law – ever.
"I hope so, one day," he told her with absolute sincerity.
430 Dalehurst Avenue
Los Angeles, CA
It certainly was a busy time for the half-Latina; she was leaving home before Beck or Jade got up on a morning (though, given that they were enjoying having some quality time to spend together they typically weren't getting out of bed much before 10 on a morning – and only then because Jade's need for coffee had become critical by then) and didn't return until around 9 in the evening. It had led to a lonely and frustrating few days for Freddie, being alone for most of it before he left for Seattle, though he understood the need for her to get her album completed over Christmas – and do a little more of the filming for her movie part. He had managed to fill his time with a little study and preparation for the upcoming exams at college but he was certainly looking forward to being able to hang with Carly, Spencer and the others a little over the coming week.
Beck and Jade had tried to involve him a little in some of their plans, though he gained a fresh appreciation for how the gothic teen must have been feeling all the time that she and Beck had been apart over recent months. At least, he had reflected, he was still seeing his girl on an evening rather than not at all, which had been the case for the other couple.
"Hey," the weary girl called as she entered the house, dropping her car keys onto the table. "Did Freddie get off ok?"
"Yep, we dropped him at the airport a few hours ago; he should be there by now," Jade called back.
"Oh, I thought he might have texted me," the lighter brunette sounded a little disappointed.
"He's probably talking to his mom and hasn't had a chance yet," Beck shrugged.
"I guess," the girl conceded, heading past the couple and giving them a quick wave as she entered the kitchen, hoping that there was still a little coffee in the pot; she was in luck and poured herself a cup, returning to the living area and taking a seat on the couch.
"I hope you left some for me," Jade called warningly from the love-seat where she and her man were reclining while watching the TV. Tori just rolled her eyes and continued to sip her beverage.
"Say, we're going to Karaoke Dokie tomorrow night," Beck volunteered. "Wanna come with?"
"I don't know," Tori groaned, "I'm just so tired after all of this. Who's going to be there?"
"Me, Jade, Cat, Robbie and André. Come on, it'll be fun."
"I want to," then she smiled determinedly, "sure." She then sank back wearily into her seat and continued to drink her coffee until a beep of her phone drew her attention; she set her cup down and wriggled the pear-shaped device out of her jeans pocket. "It's Freddie; he's back at his mom's and he can hear Melanie and Sam arguing through the front door."
"It's a shame we're missing that," Jade commented ruefully.
"I'm going to bed; hopefully I'll be awake in the morning," the exhausted Tori complained, got up with a wave and headed upstairs.
Apartment 8-C, Bushwell Plaza
Seattle, WA
Friday 21st December 2012.
"Hey hey people," Freddie called as he opened the front door to his friends' apartment and looked around it.
"Oh hey Freddie, come on in," Carly waved from the couch. "We're having a Girly Cow marathon."
He grinned. "Wow I haven't seen that in forever; Tori's not a fan, Jade would rather stick hot needles in her eyes than watch it and it was never really my thing so I've not seen it since I went to LA."
"Cat loves it," Melanie commented from her seat next to her brunette host.
"You're not watching, Sam?" he enquired, looking at the other blonde; she was unusually busy for this time on a morning.
"Nah, I'm going to go annoy Gibby for a bit."
"Sounds like a good idea," Freddie commented, "I haven't seen him since…" he paused and thought, "well since we left Nora's I guess." His face fell a little as he thought back on the aftermath of that 'party', how he'd still been on the outs with the girls, hadn't told them about his subsequent acceptance into UCLA until he dropped it on them just before what turned out to be his last web show as full-time tech producer and the awkward period between then and graduation, before they had finally reconciled on the eve of his move to LA. "Can I come with?" he asked the blonde before he turned his eyes back to his phone and tapped off a message.
"Sure," she shrugged before her eyes lit up; she swept a set of keys off the counter next to the Shays' PC. "We're taking your car!" she called to the brunette.
"You can't drive!" Carly snapped hotly.
"Freddie can," Sam grinned; the hostess huffed in defeat as the blonde lobbed him the keys.
430 Dalehurst Avenue,
Los Angeles, CA
"Who texted?" Jade prompted as Tori, dressed in her pyjamas and lazed on the couch, picked up her pear shaped device from her midriff and glanced at the screen.
"Freddie," she replied; Jade wasn't surprised, "he says he's going to see one of his old school friends this morning." She tapped off a quick reply before laying the phone back down on top of her and relaxing again, eyes closed.
"So what are you going to do today?" Beck enquired, entering from the kitchen and setting mugs of coffee down in front of himself and Jade (Tori had declined a cup).
"Nothing," she grinned happily at the thought, "I have no plans at all for today or the weekend so I'm going to do absolutely nothing between now and tonight except recover from the chaos of the last week or so," she pulled a face as she concluded, "and prepare for Monday when I get another crazy day – at the film set this time – just before Christmas."
"So what's happening at RPX today?" Jade enquired.
"Shaun wanted them to take a break from recording to work on what we've got so far; y'know, get it all perfect for when we do the album press."
"Well, we're going to Disneyland if you want to come with," Beck offered; Jade looked a little disgruntled as she believed that places like that were only for tourists and Canadians, though of course she had to concede that her man fell into the latter category.
"Not today thanks," the lighter-haired girl smiled, "today I am just going to relax all day. Oh, who's that?" she complained as an insistent rapping began on their front door a moment later.
"I can only think of one person who knocks like that," Jade gave an involuntary, wicked grin as she suspected that Tori's lazy day might soon be interrupted. She got up from the couch and answered the door.
"Hi-iii," Cat greeted her exuberantly. "I'm coming in now," she added as Jade just stood there holding the door; the red-head walked past the dark brunette. "Hi Tori, hi Beck."
"Hey Cat," Beck smiled at their friend, "whatcha doing?"
"Melanie's not here and I don't have a performance until this afternoon's matinee so I thought I'd come and say hi so… hi-iii," she finished with a wave.
"Well I wish we could stay but Beck and I were just going out," Jade noted.
"Ooh, where?" she enquired eagerly.
"Disneyland," the Canadian-born supplied.
"Oh yay I love Disneyland."
"Yeah," Jade recognised, "but we're going to be there all day so you wouldn't get back in time for your play – and you don't want to pay full price for a ticket if you're only going to be there for a couple of hours."
"That's true," the cupcake lover's face fell for a second before she brightened again, "well I guess I can just stay here then and hang with Tori!"
The taller girl's face fell as her dreams of a quiet, lazy day evaporated before her still-closed eyes.
"Don't forget about Karaoke Dokie tonight," Cat called as the couple made their escape.
Parking lot, Bushwell Plaza,
Seattle, WA
"Same address?" Freddie prompted as he pulled Carly's car out of the lot.
"No, Gibby's not at his parents' place."
"Oh, where is he?"
"Olympia."
"He moved there?"
"No," Sam looked at him with an expression that perfectly blended surprise and mischief, "he's still stuck up the Derschlitz's chimney."
"What?" Freddie yelped. "It's been almost two years! Nobody's pulled him out of there?"
"He's Gibby, who'd miss him enough to bother?"
Freddie shrugged as he conceded the point. "How does he… never mind," and he turned the car in the direction of Olympia.
Derschlitz residence,
Olympia, WA
"Whoa!" Freddie gasped as they pulled up a few yards away from the house, "he really is still up there."
"You calling me a liar?" Sam challenged semi-threateningly.
"No, I just wasn't sure I really believed that he'd still be up here after all this time being pelted by…"
"Yeah the kids throw stuff at him; enough food to keep him going, tennis balls in the summer and snowballs in winter." She bent down and packed some snow from the ground tightly, lobbed it gently from her right hand to her left, pulled the arm back and flung the projectile, catching the boy squarely on the forehead. "Bullseye!" she proclaimed proudly, throwing her arms up in celebration.
"Hey Gib," Freddie called to the dazed, filthy and dishevelled boy.
"Freddie?" he asked in shock, "Man it really is you! Can you please get me out of here?"
"I'll see what I can do; I think you've been stuck there long enough," he conceded, much to the disappointment and annoyance of the gathered audience; Sam was particularly vociferous in her complaints.
"Yeah, that would be great," he muttered wearily, before he brightened, "and once I'm down, maybe we could go and say hi to that girlfriend of yours – I assume she's here – it would be great for her to be introduced to the Gibster!" he concluded confidently and with a seedy grin on his face.
Freddie's face darkened in an instant; he held out his hand and prompted, "ball?"
Immediately the kids began to prepare snowballs for him and cheered wildly as ball after ball from the annoyed teenager struck his target.
"Urgh, Gibb – uh," the once-chubby teen groaned as a particularly vicious missile sent him into unconsciousness.
"That's that," he turned to the blonde, "Skybucks?"
"If you're paying," she grinned.
"Sure," he smiled back, put his hand on her shoulder and steered her back towards Carly's car as the local kids applauded their efforts; Sam stiffened a fraction and a wave of discomfort crossed the blonde's face from the contact, but she was able to suppress it. "So, all the time he's been up there – how did he... um," the boy trailed off weakly.
"Eww, gross; I didn't want to have to think about that," Sam shuddered.
Skybucks, 4250 Marin Way East
Olympia, WA
"Coffee and muffin for Sam," Freddie set them down in front of the blonde, "and coffee and cookie for Freddie," he sat opposite her with his own order.
"That cookie looks good," the blonde observed hopefully.
"I know, that's why I got one," he grinned, took a bite before giving the top of it a precautionary lick.
"You really think that will stop me?" she challenged humorously. "I know it was a while ago but we used to make out; do you really think your tongue will put me off from stealing that cookie?"
"There has to be something I can do to keep it safe," he joked.
"I think you have to eat it before I grab it," she smiled back, taking a swig of coffee before turning to her muffin. "Mmm, this is good," she groaned through a mouthful of the treat; Freddie's mind was involuntarily cast back to their disastrous date at Pini's, though today he suppressed the urge to call the girl out on her appalling table manners. Instead he took a sip of his own drink while keeping a firm hold on his cookie, much to the little trouble-maker's amusement.
"So how are you Sam?" he asked genuinely. "Y'know, how's life and… and school and… other things?"
"You mean has mama found a guy yet?" she teased. "No. School's good though; I don't have any early classes this semester."
"You mean they learned that you wouldn't show for them so they scheduled them all for later?" he challenged jokingly; she frowned for a moment before agreeing with a small laugh.
Apartment 8-C, Bushwell Plaza
Seattle, WA
"Hi Carls," Freddie lobbed her the keys to her car as he and Sam entered the apartment. "Thanks for lending us your car."
"Like I had a choice," she grumbled under her breath. "How was Gibby?"
"As much of a jerk as ever," the brown-haired boy replied bitterly.
"Freddie knocked him out; it was a great shot," the blonde complimented.
"Why?"
"I was going to help him out of there until he suggested that if I did then he'd hit on Tori; I didn't like that." Carly nodded her understanding, though the stupidity of their former schoolmate amazed her.
"Are you ok?" Melanie asked Sam in a quiet voice; her twin looked a little annoyed at having to reply but did so grudgingly.
"Yeah, we talked and we're good. I still…" she sighed, "I guess I learned my lesson far too late," she brushed past the good blonde and flopped down on the Shays' couch.
"You're not staying?" Carly asked in disappointment as Freddie opened the front door again.
"I need to spend some time with my mom while I'm up here; I'll be back later though," he promised and waved to the girls as he left.
Karaoke Dokie
Los Feliz, CA
Tori wearily entered the club; Cat was talking incessantly (which she had done all morning while they'd been hanging together). The half-Latina had been glad of the afternoon respite while the girl was in her performance of Wicked and had gone back to bed for a nap before Beck and Jade had returned; the actor seemed to have enjoyed the day at the theme park far more than his girlfriend. The trio got ready for their evening out and waited for their red-haired friend to arrive fresh from her performance and even giddier than usual on the adrenaline rush from it.
"Hey, why don't you get us some sodas?" Jade suggested.
"'kay 'kay," Cat rushed off to the bar.
"I love her but I can only take so much Cat," the dark-haired girl complained.
"How do you think I feel; I had that all morning too," Tori reminded her.
"Oh yeah, shucks to be you," Jade grinned before spying the owner's daughter, Hayley, and her friend Tara, leaning against the bar; she narrowed her eyes as they moved to intercept the redhead. Sensing trouble the girl made her way across the dance floor to join the three.
She was surprised, and relieved, to hear her friend laughing along with the other two girls as she reached them.
"Oh," Hayley was far less enthusiastic to see the gothic teen, though she did brighten a moment later as she glanced past Jade's shoulder towards the table at which Tori and Beck were sitting, waiting for the others to join them. "You brought your boyfriend!" she exclaimed.
"Yeah, he's still off-limits," Jade snapped back.
"Doesn't mean I can't go and say hi," Hayley brushed past her and made her way towards the table; the brunette turned back to see a smug-looking Tara looking at her.
"What are you gawking at?" Jade demanded.
"Nothing," the blonde shot, "nothing at all," her smile widened and she turned and walked back to the bar.
"I still hate them," Jade told Cat before turning and marching back to their table and taking a seat next to Beck; the actor was talking politely to the newcomer while Tori sat with a glazed, tired look.
"You're lucky Freddie's not here," Jade whispered.
"Why? He wouldn't give her a second look; he never did before," the lighter-haired girl pointed out; Jade frowned at the point she was making.
"Hi, I brought drinks," Cat declared brightly and proudly as she returned with the sodas; unfortunately, trying to hold four at once, she lost her balance, stumbled and one of the glasses slipped from her hand, emptying its contents over Miss Ferguson; she leapt from her chair and rounded on the childlike teen.
"You did that deliberately!" she accused; Cat's lower lip began to tremble at the accusation and tone.
"No, I didn't!" she insisted, "I just – I slipped."
"What's going on here?" Mr Ferguson, noting the commotion, came over to see what had happened.
"This girl," Hayley pointed at the redhead; her shoulders were slumped and she was staring at the floor, "threw a drink all over me."
"It was an accident," Tori argued.
"Yeah, she slipped," Beck echoed.
"It was a sad, hilarious accident," was Jade's attempt to help, aided by her wide grin.
"That's it; I want all of you out," Hayley's father demanded, just as André and Robbie walked through the door.
"Fine," Jade stood up and spotted the newcomers, "looks like we're going somewhere else," she told them. The two boys turned and went straight back out the door, followed by the others.
Apartment 8-D, Bushwell Plaza
Seattle, WA
Saturday 22nd December 2012.
"So what happened after that?" Freddie asked curiously as he lay back on his bed, phone pressed to his left ear.
"We headed back towards Hollywood to one of the other clubs; it wasn't as good, and the drinks were more expensive, but we got a chance to have a bit of a talk and catch up."
"Right, and how was Cat?"
"She felt really bad about it; it didn't help that Jade spent all evening saying that she was her hero."
This drew a laugh from the Seattleite. "How about André? He was really down over his grandmother last time I saw him."
"He still is," his girlfriend answered, "and it looks like they're just waiting for the inevitable now. I just wish that there was something we could do for him."
"Just be there for him," Freddie replied hopelessly, "let him know he has friends who will support him; that's all we really can do I guess."
"Yeah, I try and do that when we're at the studio together but he really doesn't want to think or talk about it; I guess working on his music keeps his mind away from what's happening with her." She changed the subject casually, "So how was your day yesterday? Did you do anything exciting?"
Freddie went on to talk about visiting Gibby (though it was an edited and abridged version of the actual event) and some of the other things that he had been up to, including hanging with the others at the Groovy Smoothie.
"No clubs last night for you?"
"No, Carly's not really into that scene so it would have been me and the Puckett twins. I remember last time I was at a place like that with Melanie…" he shuddered slightly at the memory of her chasing his fourteen-year-old self round and round the dance floor before grinning slightly at the realisation that he should have enjoyed it a lot more. If I could turn back time, he thought, I might just have let her catch me.
"Wait, you and Melanie dated before?" Tori was slightly incredulous at the disclosure.
"I was trying to prove that she was actually Sam," he tried to explain, along with some of the pranks that the two girls had pulled on him during that week.
"I can't believe you stayed friends with them at all with all the crap they put you through," Tori shook her head.
"Looking back on it – neither can I," he agreed, wondering as he did why on earth he put up with so much for so long, then he grinned, "kinda like you and Jade," he turned it around on his girl, "at least things are different now – for all of us."
Tori had to concede the points.
"What's in store for next week then?" he asked.
"Well, Monday I'm back on set for the day; this new writer I was telling you about, Henry, is going to be in LA over Christmas and all the cast will be meeting him. André tells me that they got a lot of editing done yesterday for the stuff we've already recorded for the album so I shouldn't have to go into RPX over the holidays. After that I'll be at mom and dad's in the evening – it feels good to be able to say that after what happened earlier in the year – and I'll stay there for Christmas Eve night, Christmas Day and Boxing Day. Then on Thursday some dude wants picking up from the airport," she joked.
"And he can't wait to get home," the boy insisted with a smile. "Christmas with my mom and the others will be nice but I miss you," he confessed.
"Aw, I miss you too baby. At least you'll be back soon and will be helping on my tour next summer."
"Right," he agreed. "Well, I'll talk to you soon and see you Thursday I guess."
"Oh, you have plans today?"
"Yeah, Carly wants to hang and I haven't really seen too much of her since I got here so we're going to do something."
"Any idea what?"
"No, but knowing her it will involve chasing after cute guys," he half-joked.
"Don't chase too hard," she teased, bringing a fresh laugh from her boyfriend.
"Oh, looks like I have to go; take care and I'll talk to you later," he rang off after he heard a knock on his apartment's front door; he assumed that his brunette friend had arrived. A thousand miles away, Tori smiled as she set her phone down and then frowned slightly, wondering if her man had fully unpacked his bag yet.
Freddie's assumption was to prove correct; Carly brushed some stray strands of her long, dark hair from her face as he opened the door.
"Hey Freddie," she greeted him, "ready to go?"
"Sure," he agreed. "Lead the way."
"I thought we'd grab a smoothie to start with," the girl began, talking as they walked, "then maybe catch a movie or head to the mall or something."
"A nice firm plan then," he teased.
"Oh, shut up," she grinned back and playfully swatted at his chest.
Groovy Smoothie
Carly insisted on buying smoothies for them both; she returned to the table they had co-opted and set Freddie's Strawberry Splat down in front of him. He thanked her and took a sip.
"At least this one won't catch fire on me," he observed with a smile, thinking back on one of their previous visits to this establishment.
"That was a good night," Carly reminisced wistfully.
"It sucked – until the very end," he countered; she reluctantly nodded her agreement with the overall assessment, reiterated, albeit in a mumble, that it had still been a memorable night for good reasons and began to glance around at some of the other patrons.
"Anyone interesting?" Freddie asked curiously. The brunette turned to him and grinned guiltily; from his question it was clear that he knew what she was looking for.
"No," she sighed.
"Well, what about at college; there have to be some guys there that you can talk to – surely they're queuing up to date you."
"I wish they would be," she complained sadly, "I get a few 'oh it's famous Carly Shay' and they're happy to talk and stuff but…" she trailed off with a shrug.
"Maybe Sam's threatening them unless they're actually serious and not just looking to get with a superstar," the boy suggested; the corners of Carly's mouth turned up at his description of her as she toyed with the straw in her drink.
"Just keep looking Carls; the guy who's worth your time, who'll do whatever it takes to make you happy, and do it willingly because seeing you happy makes him happy, he's out there somewhere."
"Sounds like you a few years ago," the brunette raised an eyebrow; Freddie just shrugged. "Is that how you feel about Tori then?" she asked curiously.
"I love her and I want her to be happy; I want to be the one who makes her happy. She seems to be happy right now so it's all good."
"And she makes you happy?" the web starlet persisted.
"Insanely so," her former tech producer enthused with a dumb grin as he thought on his girl; Carly's jealousy flared a notch – not, she insisted to herself, from Freddie being with another girl, but from someone having, and being so happy with, what she so desperately wanted.
Vega Residence,
Hollywood Hills
Monday, 24th December 2012.
Tori let herself into her parents' house, marvelling at the fact that a cop's family still never locked the front door. "Hello?" she called, glancing around the place for signs of life.
"Hey sister!" came a familiar drawl; Trina galloped downstairs to greet the younger girl, flinging herself on her and hugging her tightly.
"Hi Treen, how are you? How's school?" Tori regretted that she seldom saw her family, despite still living in the same city.
"Oh, y'know, still wowing everyone with my amazing talent," the older girl declared immodestly, "and still doing Divertissimo too," she declared proudly. "It's a good steady pay cheque and so local that it doesn't interfere with school."
"I'm glad it's all going well for you," Tori enthused genuinely, hugging the girl again. "Are mom and dad home?"
"They went out somewhere," Trina waved indifferently, "but they should be back soon. Dinner's in the oven."
"They left you in charge of it?" the younger girl asked in semi-genuine horror.
"Relax, nothing has burned," her sister insisted.
"Did the oven get turned on?" Tori grinned cleverly. Her older sister frowned so, still less than convinced, chose to retreat and take her bag up to her old bedroom.
In a way it was comforting for the teenager to find that the room hadn't changed at all since she moved out; the bed was made up and looked extremely inviting to a girl who was still fatigued after her heavy workload over recent days. She set her bag down on the floor and walked slowly around the room, smiling at some of the effects that she had left behind. Suddenly her eyes were drawn to the centre of the bed itself, to a small, neatly wrapped package. She picked it up and gently turned it over, locating the label and reading it. She grinned and shook her head as she replaced the item with a slightly warmer heart.
Tuesday, 25th December 2012.
"I can't believe you did that!" Tori mock-complained as she spoke on the phone to her boyfriend. "We said that we'd wait until you got back to exchange gifts!"
"Like you have room to talk," he smirked back. "Miss 'I'll sneak something into the bottom of his bag when he's not looking'."
"Guilty," she laughed. "I guess I just wanted you to have something from me to open on the day."
"And so did I," he admitted sincerely. "So how are the Vegas?"
"Trina's… well, she's Trina," the brunette remarked tactfully. "Mom and dad are fine, they seem happier than ever; I guess figuring everything out has been good for them. They're talking about renewing their vows sometime in the New Year so that will be a nice ceremony to have. How's your mom?"
"She's great; she says she's a bit lonely with me so far away so she works a lot more now but she's been… well, not her old self thankfully, but she's been in high spirits while I've been here."
"So no special someone for her at work or anywhere then? That's a pity," Tori sympathised.
"Yeah but you know a bit about my mom; she's not exactly the easiest person to get along with and I think she'd scare most guys off," he chuckled. "So, any plans for the next couple of days?"
"No, Beck and Jade are at her mom's for the day and going to see his parents tomorrow, so there's no point in going home to see them. Cat's at her Nona's for a couple of days because her parents are still in Idaho, while André and his parents are looking after his grandmother. We'll all meet up again on Thursday once you get back."
"Sounds great; my aunt's flying over from out east later on today so she'll be with us tomorrow. I think I've seen and spent time with everyone that I need to so it's probably just going to be us Bensons between now and me going – except calling in across the hallway now and again to say hi, of course."
"I guess you need to, otherwise you'll upset Carly," the brunette grinned.
"Yeah, she's wanted to hang a lot – and it's good to see her again after being away for a while. Oh, how was the set yesterday?"
"It was fine; the new writer was pretty cool – actually he reminded me a little of one of my old science teachers at Hollywood Arts," she told him thoughtfully, "not that that would mean anything to you since you only ever met Sikowitz," she conceded. "But yeah, he talked to the cast, outlining his broad vision for the plotlines and scripts for the sequel along with the minor rewrites and reshoots that are happening early next year before it all gets cut together."
"Sounds great."
"It was pretty cool, especially as I'm definitely getting an expanded role in them," she concluded with a grin. "Oh, mom's calling, I guess I'd better go and see what's going on."
"Ok, I'll talk to you soon and see you at the airport on Thursday; love you," he told her sincerely as their talk ended.
Los Angeles International Airport,
Thursday, 27th September 2012.
Tori smiled and waved as her boy, and his bag, emerged from the secure area; Melanie was a step behind him with her case. He rushed as best as he could, hauling the case behind him, before releasing it and catching the brunette as she leapt into his arms. The reunited couple kissed deeply before he set her down on the ground.
"I've missed you," he whispered.
"I love you," she replied, and they kissed again, lost in the moment, and one another, as the airport's other patrons went about their lives around them.
AN: Ok, yes there's more than a little artistic license about Gibby still being up the chimney after all this time but it amused me to think of him being stuck there, being pelted by Sam and the kids for so long. And, as Sam said, who on earth is going to miss him? Thanks for reading, PD.