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

The Real Me

Chapter 26 – Bad Attitude

No One's POV

As soon as the girls exited the club and entered the parking garage, Jade smiled and turned to Tori.

"My god Vega, you are the ultimate bad ass…..next to me of course. I couldn't believe the look on their faces when you asked for my opinion. You dropped the bomb and when you told them to take a hike, I'm surprised half of them didn't faint."

Looking serious for a moment, Tori shrugged. "If I joined them, I knew that one day both you and I would regret it. The more I thought about it, the worse it felt. Plus that…."

"Nightmare you had last night. What happened?"

Tori let out a sigh. "Not sure if you want to hear it."

"Vega. Spill it!"

"Fine. Deborah had borrowed you and when I found you. They had you blindfolded and gagged on a table, surrounded by Hors d'oeuvre's."

"So. What's so scary about that?" Jade said, sounding not too impressed as they got in the car.

"Well for starters none of the other subs had mouths and they all looked kind of like they'd been lobotomized. "

Jade raised an eyebrow and started the car. "Now you're talking, keep going."

"Well I tried to get you to respond, I even whipped you. But you didn't move."

"And. Then what."

Tori continued to speak, but did so looking a bit uncomfortable. "I removed your ball gag, only it was covered in blood. That's because your tongue was on one of the plates around you."

Smiling for a moment at the gruesome thought, Jade stopped when she could tell that this was actually bothering Tori. "And."

"I removed your blindfold but your eyes were gone, they were next to your tongue. The rest of your innards were on various plates around you. They were eating you and just saying how I'd just get another. I woke up screaming."

While amusing to her Jade, knew that the nightmare had shaken her badly. So upon completion of the story, Jade quietly took Tori's hand.

"How about brunch, at that family restaurant on Clarkson. I like their French toast."

"Sounds good."

Tori then closed her eyes and leaned her head back so she could process all that she had done and said. While not regretting any of it, she knew there would be consequences.

About a minute later she heard Jade said. "Vega, I'm proud of you. Making me proud is not done easily and I'm not just saying that as a sub, but the other side of me as well. Lots of people wouldn't have stuck to their guns like you did. But I have a confession to make."

Tori opened her eyes. "What?"

"Last night, I was willing to go with Deborah if you asked and I indicated it, but for a split second, I thought you just might send me away with her. I'm sorry I doubted you." Jade said, her voice twanged with regret.

Tori shook her head. "You're human, I'm human, we stumble, we fall, we doubt. What you did was normal. Even though it was just a test, I'm sorry you had to go through all that. "

Jade scoffed. "I've been thinking about her since yesterday. Test or not, I'm pretty sure, Deborah really wanted me in her playroom. She's a good actress, but not that good. Had you given in….I think one of those other sharks, seeing the blood in the water would have separated us. I'd go into Deborah's playroom never to emerge and….."

"What?"

"Just a hunch Vega…but their all about strength, being strong or stronger than the others. But I'm half thinking that they'd would have ground you down, until you were on your knees eating one of them out; a nice slave collar on your neck. That place is creepy and I don't think we know that half of it. But you refused and they gave you the offer which you wisely turned down. You would have ended up one of them or on your knees serving one of them, so you dodged a bullet either way. That's what I love about you, you're not half as idiotic as you look. They most certainly underestimated you."

"So did you." Tori said with a sly grin, before her face went serious again, "But I think your right about the club and the women who run it. But of course you had to throw in an insult didn't you."

"You're fault Vega, you gave me the rest of the day off and I can't be held accountable for that. I may even cut my hair really short."

The instant frown that appeared on Tori's face, caused Jade to laugh. "Maybe next time….."

Jade of course even though it was a total free day, never gave any serious thought to cutting her hair as she knew how much Tori loved her hair. In that one small respect, she would secretly remain submissive to Tori, simply out of love.

So they went to lunch, laughed and talked about school and other more mundane things. Both avoided the subject of the Diamond club and what awaited Tori at home. After an enjoyable brunch, they got in the car and Jade started to drive Tori back home.

"You're mom's going to be ultra pissed. Want me to go in with you?" Said Jade, as she pulled up in front of the Vega home.

Tori shook her head with a look of determination. "No thank you. I think I need to face this one alone. Someone needs to stand up to her and I'm going to do it."

"Well if you happen to show up on my doorstep in a few hours, suitcase in hand. I'll keep the bed warm for you." Jade replied, with her trademark smirk.

Tori laughed and kissed Jade on the cheek. "Thanks. If you want, you can fill Cat in. See what she says."

"Will do. Call me later."

Exiting the car, Tori took a deep breath and walked to the house and possibly certain doom. Normally she'd feel a sense of dread, but today, Tori was proud of what she did and earlier knew she had nothing to apologize for. Entering that house she felt ready for a fight.

As soon as she closed the door she heard her mother's harsh and angry Voice.

"Victoria Vega! I just got off the phone with Marla. Do you know how humiliated I am? You not only turned down membership of the diamond club, but insulted them on top of it. What do you have to say for yourself?"

Tori put herself in full dominatrix mode and defiantly glared back at her mother. "If you want an apology, you're not getting one. As far as what I have to say for myself. I don't like the club, I don't like this total power, no safe words, treat subs like their less than human crap and I did what I did, not only for me but for Jade as well. And as far as insulting them….they deserved it."

Tori's cold response only enraged Holly Vega further and for the next 3 minutes screamed at Tori how a total disgrace she was and how she had flippantly blown her chance to join an exclusive club, populated by some of the most wealthy and powerful people in town.

As it went on, Tori as she coldly starred back, realized that her mother was more upset over the loss of her own status than anything. If her mother however was trying to upset her, bully her into apologizing, the Latina would have nothing of it.

"It's not even about me. It's all about you and the loss of your status. I stand by my decision and I won't apologize for this. Not now not ever. I'll grant you this, you trained me to be strong, well I'm standing strong, behind my decision, which I made in good consciousness. So if you're upset because my actions reflect badly on you….well then, I'd recommend you stop acting like a spoiled child who's throwing a temper tantrum, because her favorite toy's been taken away. You're not a dominatrix, I'm a dominatrix, you, you're nothing but a bully, a hypocrite and tyrant." Tori cursed back, her words, full of venom.

Holly in return, simply blew up. "YOU ROTTEN LITTLE SHIT! YOU PACK YOUR BAGS AND GET OUT OF THIS HOUSE RIGHT NOW!"

Not satisfied with kicking her out, Holly who was so blinded by rage and anger, raised her hand to strike Tori.

But before Holly could do so, a male voice that could only belong to one person, David Vega suddenly boomed from directly behind Holly.

"HOLLY, DON'T YOU DARE!"

Looking behind her mother, Tori to her utter disbelief could see it was indeed her father and he looked even more pissed then her mother did. For years and years, her mother was final authority in the house and he had barely said a peep in contradiction to what she commanded.

This was different, very different.

Holly turned to her husband and gritted her teeth. "I didn't tell you to speak. This is none of your business. Leave now."

Again Holly moved to strike Tori, but this time, David Vega reached out and tightly grabbed Holly's wrist.

"Enough! You are NOT going to strike our daughter, you are NOT going to kick her out of this house and that is final!" David Vega commanded.

Holly, seeing her subs insubordination, instantly tried to slap him with her other hand, only to have him grab her other wrist.

"HOLLY, you're going to listen to me right now! Things used to be fine, but in the last 10 years or so with the women who run the Diamond club and their total power bullshit, you have gradually turned into something that I've come to loathe. On top of that you too something that I like and dragged me so far down the rabbit hole that even with my anger, I could barely think straight. But seeing you today, scream at our daughter for wisely rejecting membership in that rotten excuse for a club and then going to strike her, finally snapped me out of my stupor."

Now in utter shock, due to the fact that David of all people stood up to her, Holly tried to speak but other than her mouth opening and closing a few times, said nothing.

"I hate that club and haven't you noticed I've been taking a lot of extra shifts on the weekends. That's because I didn't want to go and that gave me a perfect excuse not to go. That and I didn't want Tori to join."

David then turned to an equally stunned, Tori. "I'm sorry she dragged you into this. But you made the right decision and I'm very proud of you. I am sorry."

David then turned to Holly again. "I love you, but not what you've become. Marla and the others there have twisted you and corrupted you. Look at yourself in the mirror, see what you've become and maybe you can be that old Holly again. You were taught, there were limits, there always should be a safe word and you didn't need to be in charge 24 hours a day 7 day 's a week. Tori's right, you've become a hypocrite, a bully and a tyrant. Well your reign is over."

Again Holly tried to speak and seeing Trina at the top of the stairs, who was also in shock, looked to her eldest daughter as a possibly ally

"Trina. Surely you are on my side here." Pleaded Holly, with a desperate squeak to her voice.

The elder Vega sister shrugged and threw up her hands. "Lo siento, no hablo Inglés . Estás sóla en esto."

Then nonchalantly Trina turned and walked back toward her room.

"Mom." Tori said with a clear and calm voice. "This is what I believe is called, a palace revolt. You can still make decisions, but never again will you make, all the decisions, understand?"

Seeing her family turn against her and her power now utterly shattered, Holly Vega began to tremble, quickly sinking to her knees in a mass of tears.

Well wasn't that just a bit unexpected. What happens next?

Regardless, the story is almost done. I hope you've enjoyed it so far.

The chapter title comes from the Honeymoon Suite song, of the same name. It's a great song and the subject matter sort of applies to Holly's situation.

"Lo siento, no hablo Inglés . Estás sólo en esto." = I'm sorry, I don't speak English. You're on your own."