Out of Time

Disclaimer: Don't own Victorious

A/N: I'm fixing to go to bed, so either my daily update goes now or in the early morning before work...since I missed a day, I'll put it now. This one is fairly long, it's definitely reaching the peak of desperation for the bad guys and showcasing separate events happening roughly within the same time frame. Also, a cameo from a "future" iCarly character. It fits with the theme of the chapter….


Chapter 20 (The Fathers Strike Back)

"They've been in there a long time…" Beck and Jade were outside off the office door, seated in two leather chairs against the wall. It had been a couple of short days where everyone seemed to keep to themselves as the FBI did the legwork concerning the investigation. "Oh to be a fly on the wall."

"I get it it." Beck scratched underneath his chin, then leaned to the right with a heavy sigh. His hand curled at his temple. "They had a few days to think and now they want some privacy. I just hope they'll be okay."

"Yeah. It's a lot to take in." Jade leaned into Beck, placing her head on his shoulder. "I knew we were dealing with a gang that dealt in slave trading and child selling, but I didn't know we'd ever actually encounter someone that had been through it; but what are the odds they ever know?"

"I don't know. Sam and Detective Malone have always been rather reserved, it's hard seeing them this way; but it helps to remember they're just as human as anyone else. Sam, Tori, they're the lucky ones sure but thinking about all those that are still out there, it weighs on you one way or another." Beck's chest rose and he swayed a bit, his eyes closing. "It's good they have a moment to sort things out without being bothered by everyone else."

"By that, you mean us."

"Basically." She chuckled as Beck rested his head on top of hers. They were grateful for any moment given where they could rest as well, so they couldn't complain.

The moment seemed short-lived, however, as Sam and Gary eventually emerged from the office. A tired hum vibrated away from Jade's lips as she and Beck sat upright. The pair didn't seem too different than normal, rather the stern look on Sam's face said business as usual.

"We need to get moving," Sam said without missing a beat, "It's time to get my sister." Jade perked up and Beck slowly rose from the chair. They didn't ask questions, figuring whatever Sam and Gary talked about was better left to them. Jade did note a proud look in Gary's eyes as he looked to Sam.

She could only imagine the shock, the relief, and the sorrow that the pair must have had to deal with. At least for them, they had already established a connection beforehand, but she wasn't sure how much easier that made it.

Meanwhile, in Seattle, Spencer drove along the interstate with Freddie and his mother, Marissa. They weren't entirely certain just what was going on that Carly told them to get out of Seattle for, just that she believed their lives were somehow in danger.

The last place he ever wished to return to was California, however. Every nerve in his body was shot and he felt jittery as though having just consumed gallons of coffee. "Why of all places, did she have to go down there?" Spencer furrowed his brow in the rearview mirror, studying Freddie. "If your friend hadn't talked her into helping someone run away from home…."

Freddie raised an eyebrow, his palms were rubbing together and his chest expanded slowly. "You're aware that Sam mentioned you might have a living kid there." Marissa did a double take and Spencer exhaled, still struggling to push back the painful memories.

"Spencer has a child?"

He glanced to a red sedan passing them on the left, they were speeding down the highway. The driver was a man who looked to be in his twenties. The woman was younger, had milk brown skin and jet black hair, her wide-eyed gaze peered out the window. In the backseat was a toddler, Spencer didn't think it could be any more than three or four.

Freddie was watching the car as well, the left corner of his mouth dented his cheek. "I don't have a child," Spencer replied with a mournful tone, "I had a fiancé that was pregnant." His thumbs slid along the steering wheel and his gaze dipped for a second. "But that was a very long time ago. Sam seems to think the child is alive and possibly in some kind of danger."

His breathing grew heavier as he thought more on it; though how much more could he think about the very thing that had been weighing on his mind for the last several weeks.

"I really hope that's not the case. I just…" Spencer's eyes began to water and he quickly brushed his hand across his eyelids. "It's not that I don't want our baby to be alive, I just don't know how to feel if she's alive and in any kind of danger. I mean, what danger?"

Marissa reached around the car seat, giving Spencer's shoulder a gentle pat. He smiled faintly at the woman's compassionate gaze. "I'm sorry Spencer. I'm not going to ask about it, but I know my son's probably been there for you. You'll always have someone to talk to if you need."

"Thanks…"

They continued to drive in silence, but the silence did much to let his thoughts wander so he turned the radio on. As they came closer to the airport, Freddie yelled out and pointed at the window. "Guys look, the car that passed us a while ago." Spencer looked ahead and whistled at the sight.

The sedan was in the shoulder of the road, having sped at an angle into the stone barrier. The front in was crushed, glass littered the ground and smoke was rising from the hood.

The man in the driver's seat was slumped over the steering wheel, his head twisted towards the left door. The woman was leaning against her side window. "We need to stop and help," Freddie remarked, "There was like a baby in there. I saw it."

Agreeing, Spencer put on his hazard lights and moved to the shoulder, stopping just behind the car. "I'll call 911." He put the car in park and watched as Marissa and Freddie slid out of the car.

Marissa was an EMT, so she certainly had an obligation to help. Freddie, however, bolted for the car. As Spencer gave information to the police, he watched Freddie pull open the door of the backseat and quickly pull the toddler from the baby seat.

As he did this, Marissa worked on getting the woman out of the car. Much to Spencer's amazement, both the woman and the baby were moving. As he got off the phone with the police, he let out a heavy sigh before watching the cars go by.

"Better call Carly and let her know we're going to be late…" He got out of the vehicle and made his way to the car, looking towards the man in the front seat. There was no movement, nothing to indicate the man survived the crash. "I don't think the guy in the front is alive."

Freddie crouched beside the woman, who was sitting up against the stone barrier. Marissa was trying to help clean the woman's injuries, but the lady was looking around frantically. "My baby," she groaned, "Where's my baby?"

"Right here." Freddie extended the crying toddler and the girl gingerly took the baby from him.

"Thank you." The baby looked up to it's mothers eyes as she began to rock her. "Thank god. Millie, you're okay sweetheart…you're safe."

"I'm Freddie by the way." He put his hand to his chest and looked over his shoulder. "Is that your husband in the car?" The woman shook her head and hugged her daughter close.

"No, no he's not." Freddie's brow furrowed and Spencer started to feel uneasy. Spencer looked into the window of the driver's seat and saw a cell phone in the man's lap. It was lit up, showing the caller ID of the last call made, to a woman named Holly Vega. His stomach twisted and he looked away in an instant, recognizing that as the wife of the man who paid off the killer of Sasha's parents. "I think he was a part of some group, he was taking us to California."

Spencer shut his eyes and grit his teeth. His hands closed firmly and his nostrils started to flare. He pictured Tori in his mind, the girl that Carly had been talking about and the one she went to see. He remembered seeing her once when they all travelled to LA before.

Raised by the Vegas, he knew in his heart that what terrified him had to be true; and seeing this woman and her baby, he was ready to start accepting it. "I need to get my daughter away from them," he whispered while walking towards his car. "I'm done hiding, done being afraid."

In California, after a very long drive, the group made their way to a small park where Melanie told Sam she'd be at. Evidently around this time, the girl frequented the park for some alone time.

Jade followed Gary and Sam to the center of the park, leaving Beck behind in the car. Jade insisted on going along just because she wanted to be there while Beck felt like he needed to stay behind.

Standing near a large stone fountain with water shooting from a spout at the top of three levels was a girl with a long blonde ponytail. Being identical twins, there was no doubt in Jade's mind that this was Melanie.

The girl was holding a rolled sheet of paper in her hand tears were streaming down her face. Sam let out a breath of air and ran forward. "Melanie!" She threw her arms around her sister, and Melanie did the same. "Are you okay?" Melanie hugged Sam back and buried her face into Sam's shoulder.

"Sam, I just found out…" The girl's voice trembled as she raised the paper with a shaky hand. "Our parents?" Sam placed her hand over Melanie's and tears began to stream down her face as well.

"I know, I know. I found our real dad, Mel. We've been investigating these people." Melanie whimpered as Sam helped her to sit on the edge of the fountain. "I wanted to do something sooner, but I was scared. They threatened to hurt you, they threatened me, they threatened everyone I was close to."

"I shouldn't have asked you to come here, Sam. I shouldn't, I should've picked another place." Sam frowned as Melanie raised her hands to her face. "This place has always been peaceful to me, I thought it'd be great to see you here but I forgot our dad knows I come out here."

"It's going to be okay, Mel." Melanie sniffed and raised her face from her hands, looking up at Gary. Tears were like rivers down his face as well, his hands relaxed at his sides and his smile seemed to tremble. Sam followed Melanie's expression. "That's our real dad. I-I found him a while back, but I didn't know how to say it."

"What happened? Why did this happen to us?"

"Some very bad people, it's nothing we did. What could we do, just babies on a delivery table."

Melanie unraveled the document in her hand, showing it to Sam. Sam read it over, her eyebrows rising. "Yours specifically names the seller at the auction. La Sombra's leader." Sam raised her head and started to quake. "Holly…" Jade felt her heart stop, it was a smoking gun if ever there was one. Sam peered past Melanie for a second, her muscles tensing. "You said Chad knows you come out here, Mel?"

"Yes, I'm scared he might've followed me."

Just then, Jade felt an arm around her waist, it moved up suddenly to bring her forearms to her neck. A frail hand pressed a gun against her temple and a familiar, venomous voice whispered in her ear. "Don't move, don't even utter a sound." Jade started to whimper but suppressed it, cursing herself mentally.

Andre's grandmother hadn't been found yet by the FBI, and now she appeared at the worst time.

Then she heard Sam cry out, shouting for Melanie to watch out. Gary froze and all Jade could do was watch as Sam threw her arms around Melanie and fell back with her into the fountain just as a gunshot rang from the trees where Sam had been looking.

Jade wanted to scream, to run to Sam and see if she was okay. Gary began to tremble, he screamed out in alarm and started for the girls; but stopped only when a man walked out of the trees.

He was tall, broad-shouldered and wore a Stetson hat. He had a light colored moustache that flared out from his nostrils, and thin lips that were stretched into a sneer.

In his hands he gripped a Ruger .22, which to Jade's understanding wasn't the best gun. She only knew this because she'd been helping Beck study on firearms. "You were warned," Chad said with a low growl, "Do not go to the police. Do not so much as utter a fucking sound out of your mouth to alert anyone. My standing in the community was given to me as were you when I went to these people."

"No," Gary whispered, "After all this time." His hands started to clench. Jade let out a weakened whimper, causing Gary to swing his gaze towards her. His eyes widened when he saw the growling woman holding Jade hostage. "How the fuck have you not been arrested yet?"

The woman grinned smugly. "Because our leaders are all hiding out in the one place you'll never find." She released the gun from Jade's temple and aimed it towards Gary. "So you finally found your daughters, now you can die with them; and with you, dies the last threat to our organization."

"Yeah, I don't think so." Beck's voice caused Jade's heart to skip. Chad turned his head for a minute just as the elder woman started to look over her shoulder. Suddenly Beck reached around, grabbing the lady's wrist and twisting it, causing her to scream in pain. "That's my fiancé, carrying my baby, that you're threatening."

He yanked her away and Jade ran towards Chad in an attempt to distract him and run past him. As she did this, Beck shoved the woman onto the ground and kicked the gun away from her.

Gary, with a sneering glare, unholstered his firearm and aimed at Chad. "Drop your weapon." His teeth were clenched and his trigger finger shook as though he wanted to load the man's body with as many bullets as possible.

Chad looked away from Jade, now approaching the fountain, and widened his eyes as Gary stepped near him. In a flash, Gary swung his firearm into the man's left temple, causing him to drop to the ground. "That's for my wife." He pressed his foot on Chad's wrist and aimed the gun at him. "For my daughters, I would seriously consider putting two shots, it'd be too easy. You're under arrest."

The woman nearby started to groan and reach for her weapon, but Beck stepped in front of her and scowled. "I will sit on you, you feeble old bitch. Seriously, why haven't you thought about retirement yet?"

Jade reached into the fountain, pulling the twins up. They both started to groan, coming out of shock. Sam touched her forehead with trembling fingers. "A-Am I bleeding?"

Carefully, Jade reached for Sam's head and pulled her hand away to see a small streak of blood. Relieved, she hugged her friend tight. "Thank god it only grazed you." Melanie blinked multiple times and looked over as Jade called out to Gary. "Gary, they're okay, they're okay."

Gary threw a pair of handcuffs around Chad's wrists before rushing over to the girls. He threw his arms around them, holding them tight and weeping. Instinctively, they did the same, locking each other in an embrace.

Jade rushed over to Beck, throwing her arms around him. He smiled at her and gently kissed her forehead. "Happy I stayed behind, now?" She nodded, crying into his shoulder. "I had a feeling something was up…I'll call it in."

Meanwhile, Spencer and the others had finally arrived in LA and met up with Carly at a nearby café. "You got me here." He sat down in front of her while Freddie and Marissa went to a different table nearby. "It's great to see you, sis."

Carly started to smile, closing her eyes for a moment. "Same." She let out a heavy sigh and her smile faded. "I'm sorry to get you guys all worried, I just didn't feel like you'd be safe in Seattle."

"Why? What's going on?"

"Just, we're caught up in the middle of this whole investigation. Some gang based here in California." Spencer frowned, recalling the accident they'd encountered just before their flight.

"There was a man in that car crash, he'd kidnapped a woman and her baby, he was bringing them here."

"I wouldn't be surprised if it was the same people." Carly reached for his hands and pulled them close together. "Spencer, these people…even Sam's a victim." He raised his eyebrows. "The woman we thought was her mother married some guy that bought her and her sister from an auction. These people sell babies, they sell people into slavery and prostitution."

His hands began to tremble and he leaned forward. "Why tell me this?"

"Because, these people might also be responsible for Sasha. For her parents." A numb tingling shot through his arm and a lump started to form in his throat. "But, Spencer, we did it…Well, Sam did. She found your daughter." He shut his eyes and turned his head to the side, stifling a sob. "She knows that she was raised by criminals, she knows they're not her parents; but she's going to need a lot of help finding herself. I wanted her to know who her dad was."

"Wait." He leaned back slowly, his eyes darting around the empty café. "You don't-"

"She's here." Carly closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "She's just as nervous as you are. His heart began to race and he looked once more around the café, still not sure where she was.

All he could think about was how many years had been lost, how he never had the chance to watch his daughter grow. "Everything I've missed." He bowed his head and closed his hands together, his body began shaking as if an earthquake were beginning. "First steps, first, laughs, first school. Everything…stolen from me, stolen from Sasha." Tears fell onto the table and he started to whimper. "For what? Why did all this have to happen? Where do we go from here?"

"I don't know, but it's a new beginning." Carly let out a quick breath and rose from the table. "I know I probably shouldn't have done it this way, but I didn't want to sit and wait. I didn't want to see you hurting anymore. Come on, she's around the corner."

Spencer sniffled and started to stand, his legs felt like jelly and his heart was thundering against his chest. "When you say it like that, you make it sound like you shouldn't be doing this at all."

"Tori's been in hiding, we all have. I think Detective Malone and Sam would prefer police presence just in case; but I felt like we needed some urgency and Tori does want to meet you."

"You have computers."

"You really want to meet your daughter for the first time on a computer?" Spencer emitted a nervous chuckle and slowly wiped his wet face with his fingers.

"It's already confirmed?"

"Yeah, they did a test and ran her DNA through a police database. She connected both with me and with an old sample that you gave." Spencer held his breath and let Carly take his hand. "Come on."

As they walked around the nearby corner of the area, Spencer could almost feel every nerve skyrocketing within him. Each step he took was heavy and just the thought of running was tempting.

He thought about Sasha, remembering the laughter they shared and the promises they made. He was just a goofy teenager gliding through life without a care; but he'd been more than ready to be responsible. His own parents were more than willing to help as much as they could, and even Sasha's parents had been coming around to the idea of letting their teenage daughter marry and be a mother.

It devastated him when she ran away, when she panicked because of how angry her parents had been. It was only a moment of anger, a small outburst that scared her. He was so sure she would've come back, never did he think the last time he'd ever see her that she'd be in such a state of distress.

Now here, their child was alive; but he wondered how it could be. "How did the Vegas come across her? Does anyone know?"

Carly frowned and gave him a comforting squeeze. "I'm not sure. It sounds like maybe Sasha encountered them when she went into labor."

He closed his eyes and leaned his head back, holding his breath as he absorbed the information. "She was on the streets, alone, when she went into labor? I can't…can't imagine…."

As he opened his eyes he saw a group sitting around a table, two men and one girl. When she looked up at him, he gasped out and for a second he saw the spitting image of Sasha.

Moving his hand to his chest, his knees started to buckle and tears fell from his chin. He watched in silence as Tori rose from the table, tears beginning to form at her eyes.

Memories of his time with Sasha, and the plans they made for their unborn child came flooding his brain like lightning. Thundering with each step Tori took towards him. "I've met you," Tori said finally. Her words nearly crippling him.

"If I had known then…" His trembling hand rose towards Tori's face and he tried to smile through his tears. "I should've seen it, you look just like your mother." His voice cracked. "I'm so sorry." She closed her eyes and curled her hand around his. The touch drew a gasp from his lips.

"You didn't know." She opened her eyes slowly, gazing into his eyes. "What was she like? My real mom?"

"She was an amazing person." His smile grew as he watched a smile form on Tori's face. "She was smart, brave, strong…She would be so proud of you, I know that." Tori cried out a sob and leaned in, wrapping her arms around him.

"What about my grandparents?"

"Don't let the news stories fool you, they were the most loving and kind parents that anyone could have. Sasha adored them, they doted on her just as I'm sure they would've loved you." Spencer took a step back and raised his hand over his eyes, trying once more to wipe his tears. "They just had one bad episode, and Sasha was already stressed, scared, because we really hadn't told them anything until closer to her due date…"

"So they were angry, understandably?"

"Yeah, I mean, they didn't understand why their daughter would hide her pregnancy from them; but she honestly was worried. They…They came from more old-fashioned households, her grandparents were already strict so she thought they might disapprove of her…"

Spencer heard a faint clicking sound that struck a familiar nerve, his head jerked back and Carly cried out. Tori started to pale, her eyes widening with fear. Turning around, Spencer saw the phantom that haunted him all these years. His mind flashed back to the painful night at the Grayson home and his body grew rigid.

David Vega stood before them like a snarling hound, his gun raised. "I thought I heard a report over police radios about someone spotting you at this place." David took one step forward, his weapon steadied on Tori. "Finally came out of hiding, did you?"

The man's eyes darted to Spencer and narrowed. "You. You should have died that night. I'll be more than happy to finish the job." The man started to smirk before glancing back at Tori. "But not before I take a card from my wife's deck and leave you with one last memory."

Hatred shot through Spencer like hot iron, his hands started to close and his eyes began to narrow. "No." He stepped in front of Tori, his right hand dug into his pocket. "I wasn't able to protect Sasha, I couldn't help her parents. I never even knew my daughter existed, much less being raised by you…I won't let you take her from me again."

"Oh trust me, I'd be more than happy to send you on your way to see your beloved one again, but I can't do that." David chuckled and his smirk grew. "She's still alive." Spencer's heart stopped and Tori threw her hands over her mouth.

"What…the fuck did you just say?"

"My wife's been torturing her all these years in our little hideout." Spencer began growling, his teeth grinding against each other. "Poor kid wants nothing more than to die, but Holly just can't see past her own fucking vendetta. Evidently Sasha's mother stole her father from Holly's sister or some shit like that." Spencer's nostrils flared and he took a single step forward. "Ah!" David waved the gun. "Ah uh, don't move, asshole."

"You're telling me." His chest expanded and his hand twitched. "This all happened." He took another step forward and David pushed the gun towards him. "Because of some perception involving Sasha's mother?"

"Well-"

Spencer's voice was rising, his blood boiling like lava in a volcano about to explode. "You fucking kidnapped my girlfriend, murdered my in-laws, stole my daughter and now you're telling me you're actively torturing my girlfriend all these years later just to satisfy a fucking vendetta against her mother? Her mother, that you had slaughtered. A dead woman who, in her lifetime, never knowingly hurt anybody and always tried to make right whatever wrong she felt she did."

"I said stop moving."

"Fuck. You." Spencer pulled his hand from his pocket, revealing a small paint canister. "You won't lay a goddamn finger on my child, and I refuse to be afraid of you anymore." Carly cried out, causing David to flinch and pull his gun back; but that split second was enough time for Spencer to press down on the nozzle of the canister and blast aerosol directly into David's eyes and face.

The man screamed, throwing his hand over his eyes and dropping the gun, causing it to fire a shot into his left thigh. "Shit!" David dropped to the ground, clutching his leg.

Sirens could be heard surrounding the place. Tori stepped beside Spencer, breathing rapidly while holding her chest. Carly peered down at the demon before them gnashing his teeth and rocking back and forth.

"You might want to wash your face soon, my paint tends to be highly flammable. Accidents happen." David growled as officers rushed into the café and surrounded him. They pulled him to his feet and started to cuff his wrist.

David's face twitched and he clenched his hands. "I can't feel my face. It's hot, it's hot damn it. Why is it hot!" Spencer shrugged and commented that he'd been trying to figure that one out for years.


Some mild humor at the end directed towards that weird running gag. Still, an intense chapter, perhaps the strongest showing coming from Spencer. It has to hurt, all those memories, all that life stolen from him and from his child. Looks like David underestimated the victim in this case. Thoughts here?