Out of Time
Disclaimer: Don't own Victorious
A/N:
Chapter 18 (The Prodigal Child)
Gary checked his watch as Jade followed Beck and Sam out of the car, she wasn't as shaken as she was two hours ago. Beck had wanted to take her home but she insisted on making the trip to Santa Barbara. "How are you feeling?" Beck was holding her hand, seeming as though he may never leave her side.
She was fine with this.
With a gentle smile she leaned over and kissed his cheek. "I'm okay. Believe it or not, the drive calmed me down." She squeezed his hand and gazed into his concerned expression. "Worrywart."
"I can't lose you, Jade." He set a gentle hand on her side and brought his forehead to hers, looking down at her belly. "And who are you calling a worrier?" Jade chuckled softly as Beck stroked her stomach. "You could've told me you were having symptoms, I would've been okay."
Jade closed her eyes. "I know, it's just, with Sasha's case and everything." She opened her eyes partially to meet Beck's tender gaze. "I didn't want you to stress out. A while back, Sam and I were talking about police work and how sometimes an officer puts themselves in a situation mentally, I didn't know if thinking about a pregnant girlfriend might physically make you fret over-"
"Over what? Being in Spencer's case?" Beck curled his fingers around hers and kissed her lips. "The closest we came to that was just today, and look, you're here. We're alive, we're so close to closing the books on this case. Also, didn't Robbie just confirm to you that Tori may actually be Spencer and Sasha's daughter?"
"Yeah."
"If nothing else, this is all motivation." He cupped her cheek with his hand and kissed her forehead. Jade felt the blood rush to her cheeks and her knees started to bend. "Motivates me even more to help solve this, to bring Tori home to her family and to bring these assholes to justice."
"If I knew you'd be so motivated, I would've gotten pregnant sooner." She teased him with a smirk and he let out a cough that made her smirk fade. "Yeah, actually, no that was a poor joke. I don't even know how our dads will react to this."
"Well, on the bright side, we're both employed."
Gary walked forward and shook his head with a sigh. "Only if the one person that is actually not supposed to be doing field work will stop contacting the damn suspects in this case and trying to be friendly, therefore putting herself in dangerous situations." He crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes while Jade simply cringed. After a second he let out a smile and pat Jade's shoulder, comforting her as she lifted her gaze to him. "I'm glad you're safe, Miss West, in all honesty."
Jade's heart lifted and she felt a stroke of pride wash over her. For once, the man reminded her of her own father, and that definitely made her feel welcomed as part of the group.
Beck chuckled. "Yeah, Mr. Tin Man over here was freaking out like the rest of us." Gary pulled his arm back and waved his hand in the air, groaning at Beck, who smirked in reply. "Even if he won't admit to actually having a heart."
Sam curled a finger over her lips, staring at Jade with a curious hum. "It might be something to follow up on." Jade glanced over, her eyebrows rising as Sam dropped her hand. "The fact that Trina let you escape, despite having just been told all this pertinent information, right after finding out you were pregnant."
"Yeah, that's odd." Beck crossed his arms and squinted. "I mean, she's definitely a part of La Sombra, and they would clearly love abducting a pregnant woman by what we've been learning. Glad as I am she did, I see no reason for her to just let Jade run free."
"Maybe because she has a kid herself," someone answered. Jade froze and the others snapped their heads to the right. Recognizing the feminine voice, Jade was overcome with shock, disbelief and relief. She turned and saw Tori standing with arms crossed and stern eyes looking them over, the wind was blowing strands of hair in front of her face.
Beside her, Ian stood protectively with an arm around her waist and watchful eyes. Sinjin was to her left. Carly rushed past them, throwing her arms around Sam and hugging her tight. "Sam, it's so good to see you! I'm sorry I didn't tell you everything that was going on, they didn't know who to trust or anything, and I understood that. I mean-"
Sam hugged Carly back. "It's okay, I get it. I honestly do. Truly." Carly took a breath and moved her hand to her chest. Sam looked over and furrowed her brow at Tori. "Did you just say Trina has a child?"
Tori unfolded her arms and nodded. "I've kept an eye on them ever since I saw Trina beating Ian. She was very clearly hiding something and making frequent trips to Mr. Sikowitz's house; but he would never tell me why she was going there."
"Your teacher's house?"
"Yeah. Jade, Beck, remember that whole sleepover thing? His nephew was there?" Jade gasped, recalling the memory clearly and nodding abruptly. "Trina was seeing him a lot, I followed them on a few dates. Then one day she made a trip to a hospital, different than where that witch works, so I followed. She was going into labor, and managed to hide her pregnancy pretty well. Always wondered why, strangely never cared."
Jade was shocked by the news, and never before did she feel grateful to have something in common with Trina. At the same time, she couldn't fathom why Trina would have kept something like that guarded, unless she knew what would happen to it.
"But I didn't agree to talk to you guys about her. I agreed to talk to you guys because of those assholes that have been lying to me all my life. I don't know who I am, what I'm supposed to be or anything." She extended her arm towards Ian and Sinjin. "These are the only two people I know I can trust, and we were trying to get Carly here to help us leave the states because of her Italy trip. I have a passport and everything…I want out, I want nothing to do with any of this."
Jade moved away from Beck and the others, closer to Tori, looking her square in the eyes. "We want to help you, Tori." Tori's lips seemed to shuffle momentarily and her eyebrows started to curl. "Look, I'm not going to tell you who you can or can't trust because, I know, you've found something out that maybe upset your entire life."
Tori bounced her head towards Ian. "Ian was beat for asking questions about a file he found in that man's office. Something pointing out that I wasn't his daughter. I saw Trina beating him, I took a camera and recorded it…then I did some investigation of my own." Jade gasped as Tori crossed her arms once again. "I found some paperwork in his office, I found out the truth."
"And what was that?"
"That I wasn't even fucking adopted." Tori's head tilted and the girl's body started to shake. "I was kidnapped at birth. My 'parents' stole me from someone, raised me, and were going to kidnap me again when I turned eighteen!" Tori's voice was rising, her skin was turning red and her breathing grew rapid. "For years I had to act like I didn't know, pretend like nothing was wrong. I was in denial for so fucking long too, I didn't even want to believe my own friends were part of all that shit until I saw watched Cat lead Courtney straight into the hands of those…those…." Tori clenched her fists and screamed at the top of her lungs.
Ian rushed to her side, taking her hands. Overwhelmed, Jade looked over her shoulder at the others. She figured the reason Tori was saying all this to her was quite literally because of her being there. That meant she had to help keep Tori calm and to let her know she could be trusted.
It must have been hell for the girl, she knew this; and to think that she was a part of that same circle of friends. As Tori sank down to her knees, holding her hands over her face, Jade slowly approached and started to reach for her shoulder. Tori swept her hand into Jade's arm, so she pulled back.
"I get it, I won't touch you." Jade crouched and looked to Tori's tear-filled gaze. Her heart was breaking for this girl, this girl that learned far too much far too soon. "I know it's hard to look at me and think that I'm not a part of that group. I know."
Tori sniffed and closed her eyes. "I've been hiding here the whole time you guys were parked. I heard you talking about what happened to you…ambushed like that by Cat and Robbie. I'm sorry, Jade. I'm sorry I doubted you."
"You had your reasons, and you were right for them. Don't ever think otherwise."
"Sinjin and Carly wanted to go to the police, but I didn't think the police would help considering that man. I was scared the police would send me right back to him and that woman. Then I see Gary over here…"
"He's been undercover most of the time that he's been at your house." Tori's lips parted and Jade smiled reassuringly as Gary gave a swift nod. "Masquerading, trying to get information. He's suspected Mr. and Mrs. Vega as being a part of some criminal organization for years and took it upon himself to start investigating, getting away from the LAPD because of David's ties."
"I see.
"But now the FBI is involved and they're investigating the case. David's lost his power."
"How did they get involved?"
Jade looked at Gary, who crossed his arms and nodded with affirmation in her direction. It was as though he could read her mind. This was the moment they had to talk to Tori, and likely the only moment they were going to get, and now, it was upon her shoulders.
A heavy burden to bear, but she pressed on. "They got involved because when Sinjin was talking to Freddie, and he showed your picture to Carly, well Carly's brother had a panic attack." Tori pursed her lips and Carly frowned, now realizing that Freddie had truly spilled everything. "Spencer identified David as having paid off a murderer many years ago, with his testimony in hand, we were able to go to the FBI with suspicion cast onto David."
"I see. Carly's brother. I haven't actually talked to him much." Tori frowned and dropped her gaze to the ground. "I feel bad for him having to witness that." The girl paused, her breathing seemed to stop and her eyes darted back to Jade in an instant. "Sam said something in that call to Carly, something about me being her niece. What's that about?"
Jade drew in a slow, deep breath while trying to form the appropriate words in her mind. This was perhaps the heaviest thing to share, and she honestly didn't know how to make the approach.
On exhale, she closed her eyes and dipped her head down. "I know it's hard to hear, hard to stomach. Remember how I told you about my mother, how she died?" Tori nodded and her voice seemed to quiet.
"Yeah. You've been there. Losing a parent. I thought I knew my parents until I realized I had none."
"Yeah." Jade extended her hand, palm upwards. Tori looked at it for several seconds before slowly placing her hand in Jade's. Jade wrapped her hand around Tori's trembling one and held the girl's trembling gaze. "Tori, a long time ago there was a girl named Sasha who ran away from home because she was a pregnant teen and her parents were pretty angry." Tori's brow furrowed and fresh tears ran down her face. "Her boyfriend's name was Spencer."
Behind her, Carly raised a hand over her mouth and turned sideways. Gary and Sam exchanged nervous glances and Beck continued to study Jade with a proud glint in his eyes.
She took another deep breath, giving Tori's hand a gentle squeeze. "Now, Sasha disappeared and her parents were murdered. Spencer himself was attacked, but he survived. The case was never solved, Sasha was never found."
"So how does all this come to me?"
"Because Gary was investigating a group called La Sombra, a shady group that kidnaps pregnant women off the streets and sells their children off to the highest bidder while forcing those girls into prostitution." Tori's eyes enlarged she pulled her hand away, bringing it up to her sobbing lips. "He's been suspecting David and Holly as being part of that group."
Tori shut her eyes and screamed into her mouth, and in one sentence she urged Jade to stop; but Jade had to keep going. "I know it's difficult…I know…"
"You think that girl was my mother?"
"In a nutshell, Mr. Shapiro was murdered and identified as the hitman that carried out the deaths of Sasha's parents. Robbie watched the cameras in the house, he told me that his dad talked to the his murderer and it was said that their granddaughter would be raised by the Vegas."
With that, Tori collapsed further, planting her hands on the ground. Ian crouched beside her, hugging her tight as she leaned into him and cried.
This time Gary spoke, Jade folded her hands neatly in her lap and remained quiet. "We've reviewed the footage, made contact with the FBI in regards to it. We would like to take your DNA to confirm suspicions."
Tori wiped her eyes and shook her head. "That's fine, that…" She took another deep breath and gasped. "Oh god."
Ian looked up. "That file I saw suggested the woman was still alive, you know." Jade's body tensed and Gary's eyes widened. "It said they wanted to replace her with Tori. That's why we planned on getting the hell out of dodge. Still, if that woman's alive, then what?"
"Then." Gary ran his hand behind his head and neck. "Holy shit." Jade was horrified to think this organization could have been so vile and disgusting as to have kept that poor woman alive for so long.
There was one thing she was sure of: if Sasha were alive, chances were slim she'd be alive much longer and certainly would never be the same again. Jade swayed forward, placing her fingers tentatively over Tori's and earning the girl's gaze into her eyes.
"If it's true, Tori, you could be the key to bringing them down. If you decide to help the investigation, talk to the FBI about what you know. You can bring justice for your parents, for your grandparents, for yourself. But only if you're willing to help. We can't make that decision for you."
Tori dropped her head, weeping and trembling like a tree in the midst of a storm. "I just want to know why. Why did this happen? Why did I live my entire life only to realize everything, everyone, was against me that my fate was sealed?"
"It's not sealed." Jade lifted Tori's hands and brought them together, closing her hands around them. Tori started gasping, trying to slow her breathing. "Tori it isn't sealed." Tears dripped from Jade's face as she tried to get Tori to hold her gaze. "Look, listen, you are in control of your own life. You have that now. You escaped. The FBI, Sinjin, Ian, all of us…we're going to protect you, to keep you safe. It's your life now, you get to decide your future, your fate. I know it's hard, but you can do it. Understand?"
Tori started to nod. "But…"
"No buts, Tori. La Sombra is still out there. They're hurting so many people, tearing so many families apart. Whether you, your true parents and grandparents, even Courtney." Tori shut her eyes and wept again. Nearby, Sinjin covered his eyes with his hand. "If you are willing to help, you can stop these people from hurting anybody else."
"If that lady is my mother…Sasha…or even Courtney. What if we can't save them?"
"Then find justice for them, Tori. Bring their killers, their abductors to justice."
Tori started moving like she wanted to stand, so Jade began to rise, helping her to her feet. Sam brought a small cloth over to Tori, so the girl could wipe her face. "Thank you," Tori whispered. She stumbled into Ian, who proceeded to help steady her, then looked from Jade to Carly. "I…I will do it."
Thoughts
