Downward Spiral

Disclaimer: Don't own Victorious

A/N:


Chapter 29 ("Daddy's Back")

Trina sat up in the living room, listening to Gary and Holly talk in the kitchen. They were being quiet at some points, but other times the conversation would escalate in volume, to the point she had no idea what they were discussing. "I see no point in it," Gary said, "You don't have to be afraid anymore."

She looked at her nails, smiling as she applied a red paint to them. She needed a distraction, since she figured they probably didn't want her listening in. Eavesdropping was simply an old habit of hers. It wasn't like they were fighting. Rather, they were having a simple conversation.

"I don't know that, Gary. Besides…"

"It needs to be said, he can't do anything about it now, and I'm done being yanked around on that rollercoaster ride." Trina furrowed her brow and pulled the fingernail paintbrush away from her hand. Her head rose partially and she turned to look in the direction of the kitchen. "She deserves to know."

"But David-"

"David can kiss my ass. The only reason I haven't kicked his ass all these years is out of respect for you. He isn't in control anymore." Trina wasn't so sure about that. Sure, the guy was in jail now, but how long would that last?

She was afraid of him, terrified that he'd be right around the corner. Especially now that she knew he was powerless and weak. David would blame her for his problem, as he often did, and she didn't know how to avoid it.

"David will hurt her," Holly replied with urgency in her voice. "Gary, please. Just a little while longer. At least until after the trial's over." Trina looked over to the photograph of Gary's young child and started to smile, imagining how that girl would have grown up with a dad like Gary.

She would have been so lucky if her mother let him have her. Trina couldn't help but to feel jealous. In such a short amount of time, she'd grown close to Gary as though he were the father she always wanted.

He approved of Lucas, and he even helped her study for her GED. She'd been thinking very seriously about possibly entering college, but didn't know if she had what it took.

"If you don't tell her, Holly, I will. David is not a threat to me. I've been careful all these years, and now that she's with me-"

"Now David's pissed off even more. Gary, don't you see he hates you? He thinks you're going to take all of us away or something, he always has."

She went back to focusing on her nails, trying to get them done as well as she could. This wasn't a conversation she was too interested in listening to, especially not when she had a long day ahead of her. Today was the day she was set to take the GED, and Holly was here for support. She didn't know how she and Gary got into the conversation they were having now, but it mattered little.

Beside her was her old high school backpack, and within it were the essentials she needed for testing. She had a calculator for use in her mathematics, science and social studies test sections.

According to the primary GED website, she knew a great majority of colleges and universities accepted GED credentials. So if she ever wanted to go to college, she could. She also learned that once the test was done, she could wind up knowing her scores on the same day.

There were four scoring criteria that she knew of: Below passing had 100 to 144 points, with 145 through 164 being passing. 'College ready' was a score of 165 through 174. The one that Trina was aiming for was the 'college ready plus credit', requiring scores of 175 to 200.

She set the fingernail paint on the table and walked into the kitchen where Gary and Holly were seated at the table. They looked up at her with tender smiles. "I'm ready to go," she said, "That test is supposed to take all day and I don't want to be late."

She didn't know what kind of future she had, and was terrified that all of this wouldn't be enough to make it anywhere. Part of her wanted to know the point of it, though Lizzie had already mentioned it would help her future.

Gary rose up quickest, grabbing his jacket off the back of the chair. "Alright, let's go." He had the look of a proud father, which was nice despite how odd she thought it was. Holly looked up from the table with a similar look and stretched her arms across the table.

"Good luck sweetheart." Holly's hands enclosed and her eyes squinted, creating smile lines that stretched from the corners of the sockets. "I have to go check on your sister, but I'll be there when you're done testing."

It was odd to see Holly so invested in her life now, and she was thrilled that she and Gary were getting along so well. Another oddity, but she approved of them being together more now than she had in the past. There was something natural there, something she couldn't quite put a finger on, but it felt more like family with them than with David.

On the way to the test location, Trina brought up her thoughts with Gary in hopes he may be able to shed some light on it. "So what's going on with you and my mom?" Gary drove past a yellow light and turned left onto a major road.

"There's history there," he replied, "But it's difficult for me to explain. At least, your mother would rather me not say anything yet." She furrowed her brow, even more curious than before.

"I heard Mom say it involved Dad."

"Yeah, she's afraid he'll try and kill me. Honestly, I'm not afraid of the nut." Yet he was being quiet about something, she knew that much. If it wasn't for fear of his own life, then it was out of concern for Holly. Trina dropped her eyes and folded her hands in her lap.

"You…must really love my mother."

"Never have I stopped loving her."

"But you must have wondered…when you knew she was married. Having an affair with a married woman-"

Gary's muscles tensed and Trina looked up to see a deep frown etched across his face. "Your mother didn't cheat on David with me. Not once have we had an affair since she married the asshole." Trina leaned her head back, blinking several times as she attempted to process what Gary might mean by this. "That goes back to what I said before about there being history."

"I understand. I guess…" It was confusing as hell, because he was being purposely vague. The anger in his eyes was telling; he wanted to say what it was that was holding him back. "We can talk more about it later. I'm really happy about you and mom, though. I think she really does trust you-and that's important."

They pulled into a parking space and Gary looked to her with an endearing smile. "I'm glad you think so." He reached over, placing a gentle yet strong hand on her shoulder. She glanced at it, relaxing for a moment and then looked into his eyes. "Good luck in there. I'll be right outside if you need me."

"The test is almost eight hours. That's a full day, are you sure?"

"I'm sure." Her heart rose in her chest and she leaned forward, hugging Gary tight. He seemed to light up and hugged her in a way that felt to her like a true father holding his child. "I'm a military guy, Trina, remember that. I'm trained not to leave my post."

She laughed once and leaned back. For the first time in her life, she didn't feel like being cynical or distrusting-she felt comfortable when she never had in the past. "Hey Gary, whatever it is you want to talk about…you can, okay?"

"I hope you'll not think less of me when that time comes. Your mother too."

"Why would I?"

Gary's brow furrowed and he took a deep breath. "It's complicated, and I know that sounds like being vague, but it truly is." He exhaled and closed his eyes. "There's something you should know, you deserve to know, but your mother is right to be afraid of the outcome. She doesn't want you to be angry at her when that truth comes out."

"I-I'll try to be understanding, but you got to know how this sounds." It was disconcerting and certainly not something she wanted to think about right now. Gary nodded and looked to the building in front of their car.

"You're right, and you don't need to be worrying about this stuff right now." He tapped the steering wheel and reached over to open the door. "Come on, you've got a test to ace."

She hesitated, watching as he stepped partially out his door. She chewed her lower lip and looked down into her lap. "Do you really think I can do it?" He paused and looked back, nodding with certainty.

"Of course you can. You've been studying. You know this stuff, of that I have no doubt." She smiled faintly and touched her trembling fingers to the door handle.

He believed in her, and for now that was all that mattered.

The test was one of the hardest things she'd ever done, and she was sweating throughout the entire time. There were short breaks in between sections, and she utilized those moments to go to the restroom and check the waiting area lobby.

To her serendipity, Gary had been true on his word to remain there waiting for him. In her last break, she had to laugh when she saw him sitting upright on one of the couches with his arms crossed and head bowed. The man had fallen asleep and was snoring loudly, causing everyone in the room to glare at him.

No one dared attempt to wake him, which was probably wise on their part.

Waiting for her results was even more stressful than the test, with each second the anticipation burned in her chest and caused a swirling of nausea within her gut. The other students in the room faded away as they were so little of importance to her in that moment.

She didn't have her phone to distract her, or much else since everyone was required to put their belongings in a storage locker. While she wasn't sure if they were allowed to get the phone since they finished, she was too on the edge of her seat to get up and find out.

Once she got the results, she walked slowly into the waiting area and was ecstatic to see Holly standing beside Gary, waiting for her. Both looked to be welded together, watching her with eager silence as she approached them.

"I…" She raised the sheet of paper in her hand, and a grin stretched from ear to ear. "Passed." Holly gasped out and her hands flew over her mouth. A gleam of pride shone in Gary's eyes and he took the paper gently in his hands, reading aloud.

"A 176? Holy shit, Trina that's fantastic!" Trina glistened as Gary hugged her, squeezing her tight. Holly took the sheet of paper, her eyes widening and her lips twisting into a triumphant grin.

"I am so proud of you," Holly declared. It was just enough to show Trina as college ready with credit, meaning she made the required score on the right sections. "We knew you could do it, baby."

She laughed, relief in her tone. "I can't wait to tell Lizzie, Lucas, and even Cat and Mike. 'College ready' it says?" She was too shocked to let the disbelief register, too relieved to be self-defeating. The test was over, and that was all she cared about for the moment. "I-I don't even know if I'm ready for college, or if I could handle it. I just…I don't-oh god I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything," Gary replied, "We need to celebrate."

As the splendor died down a little, Trina was able to check her phone to see if she missed anything important. She hadn't, save for one text message within the last ten minutes.

It was from Tori, and it said two words: 'Daddy's back…'." Trina jerked her head back and looked at Gary and Holly in the front seat of the car. The bliss from passing her exam started to wear off as worry filled her veins.

She texted back immediately, wanting to know what was going on. Tori replied almost as quick. "He posted his own bail. He's on bail. He's home. Momma's phone is turned off. He's not home, but he's looking for you and mom."

"No." The tears welled up in her eyes as she felt a pang of anger and grief tear into her heart. "Not now. God not now." How could he make bail? Why today of all days? She bit her tongue, praying not to cry out or alarm Gary and Holly.

Gary looked into the rearview mirror, however, and Holly glanced back. "What's wrong?" Holly asked with concern lacing her voice. Trina shook her head and handed her phone over, not wanting to say aloud what was going on.

Her mother visibly paled. "No," Holly whispered, "Gary. It's Dave. He made bail." Thankfully, they were already parked at a stoplight, because Gary instantly tensed with anger and jerked back in rage.

"What? He's out on bail?"

"Tori says he paid his own bail." Holly lowered the phone and raised her head. Trina could see sweat forming on her mother's brow, and her own body was beginning to quake. "He's not at the house, Gary. He's looking for me, looking for Trina."

"Fuck that. You guys stay in the car when I get home, okay?" The sternness in his voice said everything, so Trina was going to exactly that. She didn't want a confrontation, she didn't want anything to do with David.

Normally she'd challenge David, she'd stand up to him and try and stop him, but this time she knew that would only cause further complications.

As a result, she asked for her phone and called Lizzie in a haste. The phone rang several times before Lizzie answered, and when she did, she spoke so quickly that Lizzie asked her to slow down and be clear.

"It's my father," Trina said after several deep breaths. "He made bail."

"Oh god," Lizzie replied, "Trina…I thought you were taking your GED? What's going on?"

"I did, I passed."

"That's great! So what's going on with your father? He made bail, so…" Trina closed her eyes and breathed in deep.

"Tori said he's not at home, he might be on his way to Gary's place. I'm scared. I don't want this to hurt my probation."

"It won't. Just relax. All you need to do is stay away from him. You've already indicated to me what's going on, if he tries anything, we know it's on his end. I'll alert the police, okay?" She nodded fervently, hoping that everything would be okay.

"Gary is the police." She looked in the front and saw Gary glance in the rearview mirror. "But I think it would be better for you to report it." She wanted to ensure that not only would nothing happen, but if something did happen, she wouldn't get in trouble. "If he attacks me, am I in trouble?"

"Of course not, Trina. You'll be okay, just do what you can to stay away from him, okay?"

"I will…thanks…"

"And congrats on the GED, I hope to see your scores soon."

"…Thanks…"

Her only hope now was that the police would arrive soon and quash the problem before it became a serious issue. The last thing she wanted was for her father to kill her chances of working through her probation.

When they arrived at Gary's place, her fears were confirmed. David was standing with arms crossed in the front yard, his foot tapped the grass swiftly and a dangerous expression was etched across his face.

"Stay in the car," Gary repeated firmly while opening the door. Trina did as instructed, despite wanting to get out and challenge David. She knew the best thing to do was to remain in the car.

She rolled her windows down to try and hear what was going on. Gary walked around his car. "Dave, what the hell do you want?"

"To talk to my wife," David replied. "What else?"

"Try again." Trina watched from the window, her heart racing and her head pounding. David snarled and stepped forward. "I bet you didn't think I'd make bond, Gary. I bet you thought you could just take my wife and kid from me."

"Fuck you. She's not even yours, you asshole." Her heart stopped and her eyes enlarged as Gary approached David.

David started to laugh. "You want the bitch? You can have her." Gary clenched his fists as David started his approach to the car. Gary moved between him and the car, tensing up and growling as though to warn him. David hesitated for the moment and took a small step back. "Give me a break."

"Stay the hell away you piece of shit."

"Come on Gary." David folded his arms across his chest and started to laugh. "It's not even your right to stop me."

"The fuck it's not." Gary raised his voice and pointed to the car. "That's my kid in there, and I'll be damned if I let you anywhere near her!" She widened her eyes and her heart stopped abruptly as Gary's words struck her.

It took a bit to process what came out of Gary's rage-filled mouth, but she already had an idea of what it meant. "What?" She whispered her question softly and looked to her mother, but found she had no answer.

She thought of the picture of Gary's daughter and started to shake her head, still uncertain of the truth.

Still, it hit her full force and she didn't understand. She caught David's glare and felt a wave of nausea hit her as he shook his fist. "That's right, you're not even mine you little swine. If you were, you wouldn't be so fucking worthless!" Her eyes clenched shut and she turned her head away as Holly reached around for her shoulder.

"Don't listen to him," Holly whispered.

Before David could make any sudden moves, sirens filled the air. David's head jerked upright. "Son of a bitch." Trina looked back and felt a wave of relief wash over her as police cars surrounded the area.

Lizzie came through. She didn't think the officer would be able to, and was thrilled to see she was wrong. David couldn't harm her, or Holly or Gary, and that was perfect.

Still, David's words hung in her mind, leaving her with a great deal of concern. "Mom?" She looked to Holly, seeing the sweat on her mother's brow. "What did he mean by that?" Holly looked over her shoulder with a deep frown, slowly shaking her head.

If there was ever a time she needed to know what was going on, it was now. "Mom. Talk to me."

"Now isn't a good time."

"It's better than never…"

"Okay." Holly closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "David…isn't your actual father." She felt her heart stop on a dime, her jaw fell open and her widening eyes bore down on her mother. Holly shut her eyes and started to shake. "He…He's always threatened, if you knew the truth…"

The woman gasped out and raised her hand over her mouth. "Trina, I don't want you to hate me for keeping this from you. David's your stepdad."

She didn't know how to respond. She wanted to know who her father was, but now she wasn't sure she needed to ask. Looking outside, and remembering the photographs in Gary's home, she was almost certain she knew.

At the same time, she felt numb and didn't know how to react. Her trembling hands rose to her mouth and her eyelids slammed shut, splashing tears outward.

She was angry, but she was also confused, and still a number of unanswered questions came to her mind. With David just outside, she knew this wasn't the time to ask.

Holly was staring at her, her eyes full of fear and uncertainty. "Trina? Honey?" She raised a hand, still unable to answer. The shock was too much. "Please talk to me…"

She needed time.

As the police cars pulled in, she saw David trying to flee. The police grabbed onto him before he had a chance, though, much to her amazement. When she looked up at Gary, she felt a sudden pang in her heart.

At the same time, she thought about her own daughter-being raised by a man without knowing who her own mother or father was. What would happen when that child was old enough to ask questions?

The fear of her own child being angry at her kept her from being angry at Holly, or even Gary. She already felt close to Gary, so it wasn't so much anger as it was a desire to know the truth. She needed time, however.

At the same time, she didn't know how much of that she had left-if any at all.


So, what are your thoughts? I think that last part ended up well, despite having had a beer or two while writing it. Trina's made her GED, but it almost seems dwarfed by the other pressing issue in her life. What do you think will come of this? Do tell