Disclaimer: The show Victorious, its characters and other associated copyrights are property of someone else and not me.

That which we face.

Chapter 20 – Enigma

Jade's POV

The rest of lunch went fine, though the atmosphere seemed somewhat tense. Though Tori had accepted Beck's apology there was the slightest bit of resentment in her eyes. I knew it would pass with time but it was understandable.

No one brought up the subject of Tori's ordeal. Though the others seemed to watch her more as if she was some child that needed a close eye kept on. That annoyed me, I made a mental note that if this kept up I would have to tell them to treat her normally. Support her if she needed it but otherwise treat her like normally. To me at least that seemed like the best way forward.

Other than Sinjin who seemed heartbroken by my relationship with Tori, no one seemed to have a problem with it. Perhaps we've gotten lucky though I didn't want to say that out loud or I might Jinx myself.

Cat joined us about 2/3's of the way through lunch back to her normal perky but non hyperactive self. I hate it when her stupid brother gives her candy for breakfast. Cat just shrugged it off and quickly ate her lunch with the time remaining.

Lunch ended and we made it through the rest of the day without incident. Most of the students shrugged off my new relationship status, a few nodded in approval and one or two just looked really puzzled.

At the end of the day I was at my locker getting my things when a pair of hands wrapped around me from behind followed by a long slow lick up the side of my neck.

"I certainly hope you're Tori or you're in big trouble." I said

The familiar giggle of a certain Latina said it was.

"Are you ready" Said Tori

I nodded and turned around to face her. "Yeah I'm ready. My mom said my father will be home tonight. She told her I had something important to tell him but didn't say what. I want to tell him, not my mom."

"Are you nervous?" she asked as she took my hand.

"A bit, my father is extremely hard to predict. He's not an emotional person so I just don't know how he'll react."

"But your mom said she's got your back."

I nodded. "As odd as it sounds yes. She and I are usually on opposite sides so it's strange to me."

We left school, got in my car and drove to my house. As I walked into the house I heard my father's voice from the living room. "Jadelyn is that you?"

Suddenly my heart leapt into my throat. I had no idea how my father would react. None what so ever. It's so sad how little I know my father. Tori seemed to sense my nervousness and gave me a quick kiss on the cheek which relaxed me slightly.

I then walked into the living room where my father was sitting in large black leather chair reading a newspaper. He must have just arrived home as he was still in his business suit. Tori came in right behind me.

"Hello Daddy" I said as s stood a few feet from him.

He put the paper down on the table next to him and looked at me. "Lori tells me you wanted to tell me something important."

Before I could say anything I saw my mother out of the corner of my eye. She was standing in the door way of the kitchen and gave me a slight nod.

Tori stood next to me as I began to speak. "As you know Tori and I have been spending a lot of time together. She is a very important person to me. She's not merely my friend, she's my girlfriend. To put it bluntly I'm gay. I've already told mom this and she was supportive of me."

My words came out all at once but I didn't stutter thankfully. For an instant he looked at my mom and then back at me. His expression unreadable.

His face took on a look of curiosity "So how long have you two been a couple?"

"Not long, but over the last few weeks Tori and I have gotten closer and closer. I don't want to be with anyone else."

Tori quietly smiled next to me and took my hand.

He appeared to think for a moment than began to speak. "Jadelyn, I know were not very close and that is something I could have prevented. I work too much amongst other things. Despite our differences I think you are an intelligent woman with I'm sure a bright future ahead of you. That play you did was quite good and as time marches your skills will improve. I've always been proud of you. "

He seemed to pause for a moment but I said nothing.

"You've spoken of Tori and she seems like a very nice girl. I understand her father is a policeman."

"Yes he is." I answered

"Suffice it to say, I'm still proud of you. I'm sure you can still be whatever you want and be successful. I only hope your orientation is not a hindrance to your career. Even this day and age it can be. "

He paused again for a minute.

He put his hand to his chin. "Do you know what an enigma machine is?" he asked.

My mind went blank, I had no idea where he was going with this. "I'm sorry no."

At this point Tori spoke. "Something to do with codes in World War 2 I think."

My father nodded in approval. "Very good."

"The enigma machine was a device used by the Germans to send coded messaged to their submarines at sea. Those were the same submarines who were sending countless ships and men to the bottom of the ocean. The allies needed to break the code the machines used so they could intercept those messages and stop the submarines. The British had a whole unit set up to break the break the code the enigma machine made. One of the men most responsible for the breaking of the code was a man…I can't quite remember his name. I think its Turner or something. But he was a mathematical genius whose efforts in cracking that code probably saved countless lives. Not to mention I believe he's one of the fathers of modern compute science. He was gay and arrested in a time where you couldn't be gay. His promising career and life was destroyed. My own grandfather served on a destroyer escort in the Atlantic during the war. His ship took out a Nazi U-Boat while guarding a convoy at sea in 1943. He could have been one of those lives saved by that man. "

My father is a World War 2 buff so his knowledge of this came as little surprise to me. Both of his grandfathers fought in the war, one was in Navy the other fought and was wounded in the pacific. I did find the story to be very sad.

"Perhaps I'm being a bit long winded and not making sense. He lived in a different country and a different time but the prejudice destroyed him and lord knows what further contributions he could have made to science had his life not been wrecked. Just as I'm sure you can make great contributions to the arts or whatever field you set your sights on. I just hope you don't suffer for what you are. But I know you and you will stand up for what you believe in. "

He was being supportive. I had no idea, I was very blown away. He was always a person more concerned with what you can do than what you were. As long as you can do the job was all that really mattered to him in is work. I know he knew about my mother but he said nothing about it, figuring I didn't know.

"As I said I support you. You're still my daughter and I love you no less than I did 10 minutes ago. I'm sure we will continue to have our differences, this won't be one of them."

"We're both very proud of you Jade." My mother said from the doorway.

He spoke to Tori. "You seem like a very nice girl, I look forward to getting to know you a bit better."

Tori blushed slightly. "Thank you."

"Are you joining us for dinner Tori?" he asked.

I nodded. "Yes, mom said it was ok."

"Good" he replied.

"We'll be upstairs until dinner." I replied after we left for the stairs.

We left the living room and were headed up the stairs when my mom came out of the kitchen.

"I had a feeling it wouldn't bother him. I'm proud of you." She said looking very much on the verge of tears.

I felt bad for my mother. "I just wish it had gone that way for you."

Her smiled became a sad one. "That's the way it happened, and if it had gone the other way. I may have not had you."

I could see it in her eyes, it was written there. She still very much had feelings for this Lisa. But she was right, had they stayed together I may not have ever been born.

"Still it wasn't fair to you."

She nodded. "I know, Dinner will be ready in half an hour."

Tori's POV

We went up the stairs to Jade's room. I didn't know her father very well so I had no idea what to expect. Apparently Jade didn't either.

When we got in the room and shut the door Jade let out a deep breath with a look of relief on her face.

"I don't believe it, he supported me." She said astonished.

I sat down on the Bed. "You say it like it's a bad thing Jade."

She shook her head and sat next to me. "I don't mean it like that; it's just that my relationship with my parents is not a good one. My father works all the time and rarely sees me and I'm used to constant battles with my mother. Whom I found out is a lot more like me than I realized. But they both supported me."

"It's obvious they don't hate you. Like many parents they just want the best for you and you haven't always agreed with their methods. Most teenager are like that. I'm proud of you baby." I said right before I kissed her on the cheek.

Jade thought for a moment. "You're right they don't hate me but, they don't really like each other."

"Huh?" I said puzzled.

"I've watched them grow more distant over the years. Just watch at dinner tonight. They will barely look at each other. Its not that they fight, it's that they act more and more like strangers to each other."

"I'm sorry." I said.

She was right; at dinner a short time later the conversation was pleasant but they rarely looked at each other. They asked me a number of questions about myself and what I hope to accomplish. I could sense a distance between Mr. and Mrs. West. I don't think it had anything to do with Jade. I just felt so happy for Jade that they accepted her and me.

In the next three weeks after that school ended and summer began. Jade and I continued to date and grow closer. I also continued my therapy sessions which were needed. My friends were supportive, a bit much at times. I had to remind Andre one day that I'm not made of glass when he totally went off on some dude that shoved past me as I was coming out of a door of a restaurant with him. Andre apologized and said he was sorry.

Beck seemed to keep his distance from me and Jade. I think he was still very ashamed of what he did and still felt very badly about it. There was another reason, the girl he had started to date Molly Hanford. She seemed good for him and they have been spending a lot of time together. If you consider Meredith and Jade opposites of a spectrum of personality Molly falls in the middle between the two. Not quite a pushover but not too overbearing either.

Jade and I enjoyed the first part of the summer, spending time with each other. Still taking it slow. I wanted to be with jade but I still wasn't comfortable with intimacy yet. I felt badly about it. Like I was failing Jade as a girlfriend. I know I shouldn't but I still did. Jade to her credit seemed to have the patience of a saint content to simply sleep pressed up against me on those days where we slept together.

As I said it was just over 3 weeks from the day Jade came out to her father. We had gone to the beach. Jade spent most of the time under a very large umbrella with 80 spf sun block on as she didn't want to ruin her perfect pale skin by tanning it. I've grown to very much like her pale skin. She seemed content to sit on the beach reading the latest Stephen King novel while watching me play in the surf.

We had come to Jade's home in the early evening and found Jade's mother sitting in the living room. Just by her expression I could tell something was off. She had a drawn out expression as if tired.

"What's wrong mother?" Jade asked walking into the room.

She took a deep breath and sighed. "I have news for you and this has nothing at all to do with you and I mean that. Jade your father and I have decided to separate."

The man Jade's father refers to is Alan Turing and the story he tells is true. I had heard about and wanted to include it in the story so I did a bit of reading yesterday. He was a brilliant scientist who helped crack several Nazi Codes. Not to mention he is considered the father of computer science and artificial intelligence. He was prosecuted under the law in England at the time for Gross indecency and had his life destroyed.

our chapter ended up on a mixed note Jade's father was surprisingly supportive but Jades parent's marriage seemed to be ending. Though her mother says it's not due to her.