-Breaking the News-

A few weeks had passed since Beck's outburst and though he had many apologies texted, the group as a whole was not having it. Robbie had accepted Jade and Tori's relationship, Rex piping up about a threesome before Jade chucked him at the ocean for the boy to go sprinting after the puppet.

Nervously, a few days after Robbie was told, Tori decided to tell her parents as well. Why are you nervous, it's not like they are going to throw you out of the house. I mean, come on! They have actually seen you make out with a girl before! the Latina had thought to herself, remembering how their first kiss came from a frantic situation. So it was set. After a long conversation with Trina (that involved a lot of self observing on the sister's part) Tori made her way downstairs with the promise of no interruptions. Unless Trina broke a bone or something.

"Mom, dad? I have to tell you something," she started.

"Is it important?" David asked as he switched the TV channel. Holly sat next to him, giggling at her phone.

"Yeah, it kind of is."

"Alright, so what is it?" her mom asked in between giggles.

"I'm gay... Like a lot gay..."

"Oh, so you won't become a teen mother. That's good! See Holly, I told you we wouldn't worry about Tori becoming a teen mom!" Tori's dad exclaimed happily. Holly momentarily glared at him, "You are not taking this seriously David! This is a big part of our girl's life! Not about sex!"

"Isn't that kind of the definition of a lesbian? A girl who likes girls... in that way?" Tori giggled while her dad chuckled non-stop.

Holly only rolled her eyes and muttered "I'll talk to you later sweetie, seems like you're busy" and walked up to her bedroom. It was only after a few more minutes the two Vega's finally settled down and David began to ask questions.

"So... you like boobs too?"

"Yup..."

"Awesome, now I can talk women with someone else in the house! Hey, are you seeing anyone?"

"Yeah," Tori grinned. This was going a lot better than she was expecting.

"Who, I need to know that she is fit for you."

"Jade."

"West?"

"Uh-huh." After a moment, Mr. Vega seemed to have to digest that a lot more than the first. Out of anxiousness, the youngest Vega blurted out, "But I like her, she's very protective of me and is still a bit snarky but, well... That's Jade for you."

"That's good," David nodded sincerely, before adding, "You two had sex yet?"

"Um... yeah," the Latina muttered nervously.

"Do you have a strap-on?" he asked curiously.

"Dad! Why would I tell you that?"

"Well, you see... Your birthday's coming up and... how big does she like it?" David mumbled, looking like he was just as confused of what was spewing out of his mouth.

"Uhhh... I'll let you know later. I'll just go to my room now," Tori stammered as she raced up the stairs.

"Alright sweetie! Just let me know and I'll make it happen!" the Vega's dad said, apparently going with his promise. The Latina sat on her bed and stared at her wall, happy, confused and... well, confused. I guess that should have been expected from someone who goes to WinkyChick every weekend...

Keeping her word, Tori searched for her phone and texted Jade.

Tori: Hey, I kind of have a weird question.

Jade: How weird?

Tori: Very.

Jade: Ok... what is it?

Tori: So I just came out to my parents and both took it well.

Jade: Congratulations...

Jade: For not forming a question.

Tori chuckled slightly, knowing that first bit was sincere since the one word wasn't attached to the rest of the remark.

Tori: Because that wasn't it... You know how my birthday's coming up.

Jade: Of course.

Tori: Well, my dad promised me to get something that would please both of us...

Jade: Oh God, how am I having this conversation?

Tori: Welcome to my life.

Tori: So how big?

Tori: Jade?

Jade: Surprise me

Tori: Uhhh

Tori: That's not a good answer, I'm worried what he'll find if I tell him that.

Jade: Why?

Tori: Let me think... Two words:

Tori: WINKY CHICK

Jade: Shit... hold on.

Tori: What are you doing?

Tori: Can I see?

Jade: Five or more inches...

Tori: ;)

Jade: Quit eye-fucking me Vega.

Tori: Never

~Road to the Unknown~

A few days after Tori was accepted by her parents, Jade was invited to several family dinners as to get David and Holly to see she wasn't all that bad. At first, Holly was a bit distant, though after watching the couple cuddle during movie nights, decided it was worth it. David, however, kept grinning at the two and knew Jade was a good match for the Vega. That might have been discovered after some explaining from the youngest Latina.

Jade smiled and was happy that she was part of a good family that was only somewhat broken. Somewhat. Though deep in her subconscious lay worry about her mother. Tori felt the anxiety radiating off of the goth and constantly gave her warm smiles, warm glances, warm hugs and warm kisses. It was almost as if the youngest Vega knew of Jade's comfort from warmth without needing to be told.

That worry transformed into actions that Jade didn't really want to tell the other girl. Drinking, not a lot of it, but a small glass each night to help her fall asleep. Small glasses they might be, though the alcohol wasn't light at all. The goth knew she shouldn't be doing it, so her amounts were careful. Months before she had tested how much would get her drunk, and quite a lot would do that, which was helpful information to have...

Still, a small glass of Jack Daniel's each night was enough to send her to the brinks of anger towards her mother. Her mother who kept nagging and barking at her for every little thing once the trip was done. These consisted of not bringing the trash in the five minutes Jade had set her bag down to blaming her daughter for everything about the divorce, her father's suicide, even when her parent figure, David Huff, was sent to jail. Jade's mother would do all this, with her back turned and her eyes not wondering to Jade's.

Feeling a heavy weight on her chest, some nights, the goth wouldn't touch a glass and head to Tori's, putting her frustrations out in their love making which Tori accepted with welcoming arms. Few nights led to peaceful mornings, lying in each other's arms, bare. The rest led the Latina to wake up with an empty space next to her, leaving a small, pitiful smile across her lips.

All of this would end in one night, however. One night, one action, and one argument. That day hadn't been Jade's best, she felt a huge weight after lashing out at Tori a couple of times, many apologies rushing afterwards. The Latina, knowing what was going on, took it with great strides and great care. She would never tell the West, but nights that Jade slept over Tori listened to the unconscious mutterings under Jade's dreaming breathes. It would be a lie for Tori to say she wasn't confused at first, but once those words had spoken for actions, pitiful tears fell as she held Jade tightly.

The teen was in her room, admiring her collection of unusual knick-knacks spread across her bookshelves, when she heard glass breaking in the other room. Rolling her eyes, Jade got up to clean the mess, as per usual. The goth walked down the stairs, wearing pants, her red plaid flannel, and her maroon and black striped beanie.

"Why the fuck does this glass have to be as shattered as my life," Jade's mother cursed under her breath, "Pick it up now!"

Jade stood by the doorway, the last straw finally ripped in half. "No," she whispered quietly.

"What was that?" the older woman hissed, her back still facing her daughter while her head turned to stare at the black converse.

"NO!" Jade snarled.

"Pick it up! You shattered my life now pick-it-up!"

"What? Fuck NO! You were the one who decided to throw a bottle at me which, oh by the way, the scar is still there!" Jade shouted, remembering when Tori found the scar on her left shoulder during their nights and spent the upmost devotion caring for it, saying how beautiful Jade was with it. Shows you true fight the goth reminded herself of the Latina's husky whisper as she climaxed.

"You bitch, don't talk to your mom that way!"

"DON'T EVER SAY YOU'RE MY MOM!" a strangled voice bellowed over the woman's rant.

"You little worthless shit! This is why nobody loves you, I had to set you up with Ben-"

"BECK! The one who was supposed to love me ended up hitting me and my girlfriend!" Jade seethed before adding, "What a good choice he was for you."

"Your girlfriend," the mother whispered hoarsely.

"Yes, the only one in this God damn world alive who shows she truly loves me!" the goth boomed, feeling a proud warmth spreading over her breast, "Why don't you look in my eyes for one fucking second in my life?"

The older woman's eyes slide hesitantly at the pale mint ones, and stared. Her very first thought that fled her mind, the only sober one, was 'she is so beautiful'. After those three words were announced within Mrs. Mank's thoughts, a wave of rage and jealous hatred drowned them out. "Because I hate you, why do I have to lug around a needy daughter who took all of my husband's money away and stole all of my time with him! HE IS DEAD BECAUSE OF YOU!"

With that, she took two strides to her daughter, slapped her hard across the face and left, leaving Jade frozen on her knees as she slammed the front door. Once the sound of the car rolled by, the teen was bawling from the pain in her ears, heart, self esteem and the right side of her face. Her right cupped the raging skin just in front of her ear, and felt boiling liquid against her cold hand. She picked up a glass shard lined with blood among other drops and felt a surge of boiling fury, extinguished knowing she felt alone. Getting up, Jade stalked over to the bathroom and gasped in the mirror; a long, jagged cut went from the front of Jade's right ear to the bottom of her jaw, curving viciously.

"FUCK HER!" she shrieked as she recalled the feeling of the glass shard ripping through her flesh, knowing it would scar her thoughts of her mother for the rest of her life. Jade cleaned the cut, cringing slightly as the cleansing alcohol burned, eventually giving up since the bleeding wouldn't stop. Her steps wondered over to the room.

Stepping over the many glass shards, Jade took out a bottle of Jack Daniel's and stormed up her room. After downing half of the bottle, Jade began to chuckle darkly, flowing into a psychotic cackle after she muttered one line, "The only two scars I have from you mother is from your drinks... How funny." With great force, she whipped out her antique scissors and threw them at an older picture of the family oh so many years ago.

Jade heard the glass shatter from the frame and looked at the picture, one no her desk now hanging on the wall by the blades. Her feet stumbled over, heavy with drink, and ripped the scissors away, catching the paper as the wood fell. It was such a nice picture, Jade on her father's shoulders while her mother laughed beside them, about to catch the young then-brunette. Calmly, Jade reached for her pencil and began to write a note for her dear mother on the back. She then took old scissors that where once her mother's and walked over to the 'drinking room's' door.

There the goth placed the photo on the white paint and furiously drove the blades in, slightly surprised they stayed since the metal was rusted. Jade wanted to go to Tori's home, her home and lay in the Latina's arms. Looking at the night streets, however, Jade decided to go when there weren't any cars on the street and rushed to her room to finish Jack Daniel's.

Once a grandfather clock struck 12, Jade locked her bedroom door clumsily and crawled out her bedroom window, which was easy since her bedroom was over a patio. Her feet felt the patio roof and climbed down the side where vine's used to grow. Keys at hand and a now empty bottle in the other, Jade took the last sip and chucked the glass onto the dead grass behind her.

The car drove through the night, slower than normal, towards the Vega household.

~Road to the Unknown~

"Trina would you help me with the dishes? The movie was long enough, now get- WHY AREN'T YOU LISTENING?" The Vega sisters decided to watch a surprisingly long movie before doing any of their chores, so now they had to do them at 12:30 in the morning. Lesson learned: do your chores.

"It's a new song by Katy Perry," Trina whined. As the older sister danced around, the doorbell rang, halting the clatter of dishes and cringy body movements.

"Who the hell is walking around at this time?" Tori asked sourly, very tired.

"How should I know?"

"I don't know, just get it! You're closer," the youngest Vega reasoned, taking a few steps over to the couch, curious.

"Fine," Trina hissed as she marched over to the door. She froze in spine-chilling shock as her eyes fell upon Jade, who stood swaying with a cocky grin plastered on her face with nearl half her face stained with red.

"Heeeyyy, ,'M here Vega sisters..." she slurred, slumping slightly before being caught by Tori's arms. Jade pulled the concerned Latina into a long, clumsy kiss. She then giggled and muttered, "I stabbed my mother's door with my old scissors..."

"Jade? Have you been- have you been drinking?" Tori asked tearfully.

The goth's eyes watered, "I'm so-sorry... That bitch, she-sh- she..."

"Tori, you take her to your room and clean that up. I'll uh, I'll get the dishes done and bring you a kit," Trina ordered. Though she hadn't warmed up to Jade yet, she still did care for her. She would have to.

Tori nodded and half guided, half carried the hurt West to her room. Jade plopped onto the bed and groaned. "Don't worry baby, Trina will come up and give us something to help out with that," Tori's words soothed. The goth immediately felt calm, safe.

The Latina got on the bed with Jade, who sat up climbed on Tori's lap, burying her head in the long strands of hair. "Jade? What happened?"

A deep breath was exhaled out of the goth before answering in slurred words, "My mother was drinking 'gain an' I heard th' glass break... I went over and we got in an argument and I fought back... She didn't like that, the fucking whore... Then she hit me with a glass shard still in her hands.

"You know what?" Jade continued, "She looked at my eyes for the first time in, I don't know, nine years? Maybe ten... or eight. She had blue eyes... I forgot she did... I forgot how nice she was, we used to eat tomato soup and grilled cheese together, just the two of usss."

"That sounds nice," Tori murmured, rocking the goth.

"Uh-huh... It was, until she threw a bottle at me while we were having that meal after the divorce," Jade nodded bitterly, suddenly weeping on Tori's shoulder. While the Latina hushed Jade quietly, neither of them noticed Trina standing by the doorway, a small smile spread across her lips; she had never seen the two like this before.

The kit was placed down beside the girls and Tori began to clean the wound, whispering nice things to Jade whenever the goth would hiss from the searing pain. "I know, I know Jade... I don't know how anyone could hurt you..."

Besides shoving the converse off, Jade slept in her clothes under the sheets, Tori's arm clasped around her. Before Jade could doze off, the Latina asked, "Would you like me to get some of your stuff?"

Jade nodded, explaining, "You'll have to climb through my bedroom window... I don't think I closed it, it's over the front patio..." Her words melted into slumber and Tori stayed there for a while before getting up. Since she didn't have a car of her own, the Latina took Jade's keys and made her way to the manor.

Once there, she gave a sigh of relief once she noted that no one else was home. Hesitantly, she looked up at the open window and grunted her way up, deciding she should hit the gym more often, or go for more runs. Once inside, Tori packed a couple of bags full of clothes, notebooks, pencils, Jade's phone, laptop, some pictures, and Jade's bathroom stuff. The Latina nodded to herself and stood in the middle of the room.

Suddenly, she felt a warm weight clasped on her right shoulder and her head flicked up to the mirror. In the mirror, Tori saw a man behind her, his hand on her shoulder. Coffee brown eyes met raven hair, Jade's eyes and facial features, other then the lips and narrow head shape. He was a leaner man, and wore all black. "Hey Mr. West," Tori whispered, grinning at Jade's father as he smiled back.

As soon as she blinked, he seemed gone even though his presence still hung. Just as she had turned her head to the mirror, she felt an urge not her own to wonder the house. Her legs guided her through the bitter, empty house once she unlocked the door. Every once and a while, she would pick up pictures of Jade and her father, happy together, and hold them in her arms as she stalked around. Finally, she made her way to the mother's favorite room, were scissors cracked the door, a picture hanging from it.

Coffee brown eyes shifted down and a small gasp voiced itself as Tori saw blood drops and a long glass shard. Her eyes then trailed the red path over to the bathroom, though didn't have any desire to go in. In fact, she raced out of the house, shoving the pictures in the bags and taking all five of them to the car.

Once Tori had made it to her room, she set the important belongings down and climbed into bed with Jade, her eyes sprinkled with understanding tears.

Little did both of them know, Jade's mother was now weeping in her room, bottle at hand, holding the picture. She would never rip it, never burn it but keep the photo close to her for the rest of her life. Tears fell miserably as blue eyes read.

You could have had 2/3's of this picture
But you decided to scar me instead
Good bye mother,
I hope hell treats you well...

Well things didn't go so well for Jade did they? At least she trusts Tori and feels safe enough to know that she doesn't need her mother. Until the next chapter :)