Out of Time
Disclaimer: Don't own Victorious
A/N:
Chapter 24 (Daddy's Girl)
"Dad?" Jade hurried through the front door, looking around excitedly. Her father called out to her from his study, so she started for the room stopping as he opened the door. The tall man gazed down at his daughter with raised eyebrows and a faint smile.
"Good evening, Jade." He chuckled as she wrapped her arms around him, hugging him tight. After everything she'd seen lately, everything they'd been through, the raid at the hospital and Sasha's death was enough to make her miss her father more than she ever did. "Is everything okay?" Henry hugged his daughter back and knelt down to one knee so he could be at her level.
"I wanted you to know I missed you." He furrowed his brow.
"It's only been half a day."
"I know. I love you, Dad." She hugged his neck and he chuckled again.
"I love you too honey." Henry rose and cleared his throat. "It's been a while since we've spent some time together. I have some old classic movies recorded if you want to watch. Also, some Shark Week." Jade grinned and started for the couch.
"Sounds good." She plopped onto the couch with a hefty sigh and reclined her legs towards the other end. "Let's watch all of it." Henry picked up the remote from the end table beside his large brown recliner and turned the television on.
She remembered the one time that Tori had met her father, she thought he was the sternest parent in the world. At the time, he was dealing with a lot of stress from his job and she was still just beginning to open up a bit more to the idea of trying to make their relationship work. Thankfully that changed over time, and after dealing with the investigation she was even more grateful that they had a solid relationship now.
"What first?" Jade studied the television as Henry moved down the list of recordings, finally stopping on a shark documentary. "I've got quite a few of these recorded. We knock a few out if you like." She nodded and looked over, happy to see the joy in her father's eyes.
"I say we watch a few of these." She sat upright, moving her feet to the floor and rubbing her palms together. "Should I get some snacks?"
He flashed a grin. "Grab a bowl and some Doritos and we've got a deal." Jade hopped off the couch and scurried towards the kitchen. It didn't take long to round up a large bowl and the family size Nacho Cheese Doritos. She poured as much as she could into the bowl, kept the bag with her, and returned to the living room.
They made it through a couple documentaries and halfway through the bag of chips before deciding to take a break. Henry handed her the bowl of chips as they'd been passing it back and forth, she took it to her lap and reached in. "So, Jade, the investigation sounds like it's wrapping up." She nodded slowly and Henry leaned back into his seat. "Thank god, I was worried for you. I know it's been a lot on you and Beck."
"It definitely is a lot. We're still going to have to deal with the trial and everything; but I think it's going to be high profile." It definitely would be high profile, and federal even. Not only was a state hospital director complicit, but someone who would be a police chief and even a district attorney and city education director.
"I don't know how I feel about you being involved in such dangerous case work; but if it's what you want to do, I'll support it." She started to smile, leaned forward and extended the bowl to him. "Police work is dangerous work."
"Beck's more drawn to that side than I am."
"Oh?"
Henry took the bowl and grabbed a few chips while Jade chewed on the handful she had. "I'm thinking about being a victim advocate." Henry's eyebrows rose and his face lit up with pride. "I was wondering, maybe I could do that internship at your office while I go to college?" His lips curled into a smile and he let out a single laugh.
"Of course, I'd love to bring you on at the office. I thought you and Beck had decided on taking some time off first." Jade tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and shut her eyes, groaning softly.
"I think we've had enough of a break; but we've kind of figured out what we want to do, where we want to go." She opened her eyes partially and breathed in slow. "I want to be a part of helping families torn apart by these sort of violent crimes find hope again, to find healing." She ran her hands forward over her knees and raised her head up. "Beck? The things we saw, he wants to stop people like the Vegas, stop the bad guys and protect those he can."
"Well it definitely sounds like you've had some time to figure out what you want, and I couldn't be prouder." His smile grew and he reached over, gently squeezing her hand.
A news story began on the television, drawing their attention for a moment. The reporter was discussing the missing persons case of Sasha Grayson and how it was finally being closed after the woman was discovered in the hospital. Reports to the press indicated that the director of the hospital had been keeping her imprisoned there due to some unknown connection to her mother, murdered eighteen years prior.
Henry whistled slowly and Jade motioned to the screen. "Her. I'm helping her family a little. They found some closure." He looked to her, his eyebrows rising.
"She was a part of the case you were working on?"
"Another of Holly's long list of victims." She frowned and shook her head. "Thank god Tori had enough courage and strength to escape when she started to realize things weren't right."
"Your friend?"
"Yeah, she's Sasha's child." Henry frowned and bowed his head. "Taken at childbirth, raised by the Vegas. Her dad was still alive, so we found him and brought them together."
"Even just one family saved is a good thing."
"I'm sad we couldn't save Sasha; but at the same time, I think we did save her." Henry tucked a hand under his chin, humming as Jade furrowed her brow. She hadn't given it much thought before, but it made sense when she realized that Sasha didn't appear to want to live any longer. "If we had tried to save her, get her to recover, we'd essentially be doing the same thing as Holly by keeping her alive. She'd been so tortured for all these years, all she wanted was to be allowed to die. Spencer loved her so much that he let her go."
"Sometimes even death is a positive resolution. For someone in her case, she likely wouldn't have lived much longer regardless, it sounds like. From a counselor's perspective, her mental health would likely never have recovered either. Human life is a tricky thing to have in your hands, I can't imagine how difficult it must have been for you to be in that position."
"She'd been put in a hospital room, taken out of the horrible place she was by Holly's actual daughter. We brought Spencer and Tori to her, Beck and I left the room to give them some privacy." She inhaled. "She definitely seemed to be at peace in her final moments."
"And now you can be there to help your friend."
"Yeah, but I hardly know where to begin." Jade chuckled nervously and glanced back to her dad. "There's so much mental muck to sift through, I haven't even started learning anything about counseling or anything. I want to help, but I don't know how."
"That's why you learn, and I'll be happy to be there for any questions you have."
Jade smiled and hugged her dad as tight as she could. "Thanks daddy." He hugged her back, giving her a gentle pat between her shoulders. "I'm glad you're around."
"If nothing else, you and Beck have each other and you both have your fathers." She pulled away, sniffing a bit. She wanted to say more, but was distracted by a knock on the door. Henry glanced to the front door and Jade turned. "Expecting anyone?"
"No, I'll get it." She looked through the peephole and was surprised to see Tori standing on the other side. "It's Tori." Henry rose to his feet and Jade looked through again, this time seeing Spencer nearby. "Oh, her dad too."
"I guess she's here for you, I'll go make some coffee."
"Thanks dad!" She opened the door, astonished to see the two standing before her. "Tori, Spencer, what brings you guys here?"
"Well, we just wanted to drop by. Talk for a bit. If you have time."
"Sure. Come in." She stepped to the side to let them enter. As they passed, she looked outside to see if Carly might be in the car; but she wasn't. Closing the door, she called out to them as they made their way to the couch. "Dad's getting some coffee ready if you want something to drink."
"Thanks for the offer." Jade made her way over, picking up the remote to turn off the television. Tori smacked her lips and brushed her hair back over her shoulder. "Sorry to drop in unannounced. I did try texting."
"It's okay. Dad and I were watching some documentaries, I guess my phone is still off." She turned her phone off while she was at work because the battery was about to die and she didn't want to run it completely out of juice before getting home. "It needs to be charged up."
"Ah." Tori cocked her head to the right. "So you and your dad. I thought the two of you weren't entirely close?"
"We're closer than we used to be." Jade took a seat in her dad's chair, smirking over her shoulder as if she expected him to make a joke about her using his chair. "After what happened when I was younger, we didn't really spend much time together." She frowned and looked back to Tori. "It was hard to really heal after that."
Tori nodded slowly. "You told me a while back you lost your mom." Jade sucked in a large breath of air, wondering how to progress on this note. It was good that there was a similarity to hook on to; but at the same time, she wondered if it would make things difficult. If anyone would know, her father would. "One of your dad's clients did it?"
"Yeah." She leaned forward, clasping her hands together between her knees while looking back and forth between Tori and Spencer. "The mistake Dad and I made was not talking about it, not trying to spend time with each other. We tried to deal with it by ourselves rather than together…so we spent a lot of years just angry, hurting, and even avoiding one another. I didn't understand it at the time, so I grew up resentful. As a kid, you can only think you're the reason a parent is avoiding you."
Unsure where those words came from which she had just uttered, Jade started to lean back and take in the surprise coming over her. She looked over her shoulder and thought she caught a glimpse of her father standing in the hallway, smiling at her. Of course, no sooner than when she did look, did he retreat back to the kitchen.
Sighing, Jade dropped her gaze and smiled for about a second before looking back to Spencer and Tori. Tori looked at the television for a few seconds and Jade followed her gaze. The news had been on when Jade turned the tv off, and she had no doubt in her mind the news stories that would be playing for now and for a long while.
"They said a while ago Cat's mom got picked up," Tori began with a shaky voice. The girl swept her fingers across here eyes. "Seems Mr. Sikowitz is testifying against her, along with some other teachers, saying she cared more about using the schools as a front for trafficking rather than education itself." Tori swept her hand out and into the air. "I can't believe how close I came…"
"But you didn't. You're safe now."
"Yeah." Tori breathed out and dropped her hand to her knee. Tori closed her eyes and Jade waited calmly for the girl to speak. She was trembling, creases were forming across her forehead. "They found Courtney." Jade's heart stopped and Tori slowly opened her eyes. "Apparently Andre got Cat to start talking, I guess she didn't realize he turned himself in or something. Cat said Courtney was sold to some couple in China to be a maidservant."
"Well, is that good? They've found her, is she alive?"
"Yeah." Tori rubbed her eye with the heel of her palm, choking out a single sob. "Yeah, I don't know how she's going to be, but the police have gotten in touch with the authorities there." Tori's voice started to rise, filling with anger. "Can you believe the slave ring bullshit bleeds into other countries? Courtney started asking questions, she was trying to help me; and Cat had her sold off to fucking China for it."
Jade closed her eyes as Tori leaned forward, her skin seeming to glow as anger filled her. "Sinjin thought his sister was gone forever, Ian and I lost our best friend, all because of me. And then my mother had to suffer through hell for what? For nothing, just like Courtney's been suffering for nothing."
"I know. I know. It's hard to grasp why people do things like that, just like the person that killed my mother, there's no easy way of knowing why these things happen or why these people are the way they are."
"I hate them. I hate the people I thought were my parents, I hate Cat and Robbie. I hate Hollywood Arts. I hate it all, everything I ever knew that was a lie." Tori's voice cracked and she dropped her face to her hands, sobbing into them.
Jade looked to Spencer, who was sitting still as a stone. His fingers were constricting around his legs and his eyes were so clenched shut that stress lines were extending from them. "Spence, what's going through your mind right now?" He stiffened, his eyelids opening partially.
"I don't know." His voice was quiet, as though he were trying to hold back his emotions. "I still remember the screams, Sasha's parents didn't deserve what happened to them. Then, thinking all these years later, how they kept Sasha alive just out of spite, and not even knowing that I not only had a living child but how close she came to being put right in the same position as her mother."
His hands balled up into fists and Tori raised her head towards him. Spencer's neck seemed to tighten and his chest expanded. "And now I'm learning that these people were always near in one form or another, that Sam herself was a victim of them. Even on our way to the damn airport, Freddie had us stop and help this lady and her daughter out of a burning car; turns out, they were about to become Holly's next victims. God…To think that California doesn't have the death penalty, these people don't deserve to spend the rest of their life in a cell."
Jade shrugged. "They might not, actually." Spencer and Tori looked her way and she let out a heavy sigh. "If you think about the fact that several victims are being located throughout the country, it becomes federal. Then, it looks like there are victims being trafficked outside of the country, international waters."
The FBI had the transnational organized crime branch, so likely that was where this would be falling under.
Spencer let out a heavy sigh and shook his head. "Sometimes I wish Holly could suffer the way she made my Sasha suffer. I know it's wrong to say things like that, and normally I wouldn't; but right now-"
"You're angry, you're hurting, both of you are. It's understandable. I don't know how many people would be in love with the person that tore their entire world apart and caused them so much pain for so long." Jade extended her hand. "But let's look at right now, this very moment. You've found your daughter, she's alive and with you." Tori and Spencer looked at one another and Tori mustered a sad smile. "I know you both will have to begin a brand new connection, but you have Sasha in common. Right there, of course you should talk to Tori about her mother, about her grandparents…"
Tori looked down for a second, her lower lip tucked under her corner tooth and she cleared her throat. "I was wondering…was Victoria my intended name?"
"Actually no," Spencer replied. Tori's eyebrows bounced up and Spencer looked into her gaze. "Sasha adored flowers, as you know her favorite candle and perfume scents were floral ones. Her favorite flower was the lily, it reminded her of her grandmother."
"Her grandma's name was Lily?"
"Lillian. John and Lillian Grayson were her grandparents. They were strict traditionalists, but Lillian was softer and a little warmer towards Sasha." He closed his eyes and chuckled. "Who, in no way, was going to be the traditional old-style girl all dolled up. Your mother was an absolute tomboy, I kid you not, she loved video games, monster trucks, and if you dared invite her to a tea party making her wear dresses she would probably give you a brown bag of crap as a gift."
Tori started to grin, stifling a laugh. Even Jade had to cover her mouth with her hand, hiding the growing smile on her face. "So she wanted to name me Lily, then?"
"Yes. She loved her grandmother, despite how much her grandma wanted to make a debutante out of her. Then her parents, they were fully in support of her, though they didn't exactly approve of some things. Like the pranks, she pulled a lot of pranks in her day." He leaned back, gazing up fondly and laughing. "I remember a time someone cheated at a game, she was already competitive and did not like to lose; but this person ticked her off, so she proceeded to egg their house and left a gallon of spoiled milk on their front porch. Man, her parents were pissed that she did that."
He wiped his eyelids and let out a heavy sigh. Tori rubbed her hands together and glanced up to Spencer. "What about you? What are your parents like?"
"My father's in the air force, actually he's planning a visit now with everything going on." Tori lit up for a moment, sitting upright fully. "Mom left us after Carly was born, so we don't have a lot of communication with her. Carly's never known her mother all that well and refuses to talk about her if anyone asks…"
"I see. I would think she'd want to know more about her mom." Tori hugged herself and rocked forward. "Like I do. I guess the difference sounds like mine didn't want to walk out on me…" Spencer shut his eyes once more and his lips pressed firmly together.
"Right."
"You and mom were pretty young when you had me. So my grandparents can't be that old-or well, your parents." Tori winced and looked up to Spencer. "Sorry." Spencer smiled sadly and waved his hand.
"It's okay."
"So, John and Lillian?"
He nodded. "They are still alive." Jade wanted to cheer, knowing this was another set of relatives that maybe Tori could get to know. Granted, the way they were described had Jade a little concerned; but that was also a long time ago. They'd lost their daughter, their granddaughter and were now however old they were with likely no family left.
"Have you reached out to them yet?" Jade asked. Spencer looked at her, his mouth opening to an oval. "I know you've been dealing with a huge amount right now…"
"I haven't been able to yet, I don't even know what I would say." He swallowed and shook his head. "Lillian turned eighty recently, John is eighty-five. They live in Redding, California." Spencer ran his hand behind his neck and took a deep breath. "I've kept in touch with them from time to time, just to see how they're doing. It would be good to touch base with them now, especially. I just…worry."
"What about?"
He dropped his hand and looked at Tori with a furrowed brow. "I don't want to put too much on you, Tori." Tori frowned and started to nod. "I know you've got to be dealing with a lot, and now my dad wants to fly in and everything. You and I have enough just trying to learn about each other now, and you're already dealing with an Aunt you never knew existed. Grandparents? Great-grandparents? I don't want to put more stress on you than what you need."
"I'd meet them all at mom's funeral anyway, wouldn't I?"
"I wouldn't force you to go to that if you felt like it would be too much…"
Tori let out a heavy sigh and bowed her head. "I think-I think I could try to handle that. I never knew my mom, I never knew you or anything else, I don't even know who I am aside from now knowing what my name was supposed to have been. I used to think I knew who I was, who I wanted to be; but now I don't even know that anymore. Singing used to bring me joy, now with everything that's happened and Hollywood Arts going to shit thanks to Holly, I can't even bring myself to think about singing without wanting to throw up. I want to know the people that I was supposed to have grown up knowing…I want to know the life I could've lived."
Jade curled a finger over her chin. "Would it help?" Tori looked over at her and Spencer followed her gaze. "Would it help you to move forward also?" Tori shrugged and Spencer slowly nodded.
"I can finally put my Sasha to rest."
"Yeah," Tori turned her head and looked up at Spencer, "That's definitely something that needs to happen. And as for me. I don't know." She looked back at Jade. "Maybe it will help." She tucked a strand of hair over her ear. "I'm not saying I want to get hung up on what-ifs and what could've been; but I want to know the family that I was taken from. Maybe, just maybe, they might want to know me too?"
Spencer chuckled softly. "Oh they do." Tori twisted her head back, her eyes opening wide. "Everyone that knew Sasha was pregnant, it's always been on the forefront of their minds about whether or not she ever had you."
"Wow." Tori slowly turned her head away and sucked in a deep breath. "No pressure, right?" Spencer blinked twice and rolled his head to the right.
"My grandfather is still alive. You know Carly. My father, and if my mother ever did show up…John and Lillian are alive. It doesn't end there either; and that is why I'm worried about stressing you out. You don't need to meet an entire new family all at once if you don't have to."
Jade raised her hand. "If it helps, could I attend?" She knew Tori would want to see her mother off, so there likely wasn't a chance in hell Tori would miss the funeral. That being said, Sasha had other relatives who would know that she'd been found, therefore they were more than likely going to be the same way. "Beck and I can offer any kind of help or comfort possible."
Tori nodded slowly. "I think I'd like that." Tori sucked in a deep breath of air and pushed her hands forward on her legs. "Someone to fall back on would help a lot."
"Okay." Spencer smiled and reached over, gently patting Tori's shoulder. "But if it gets too much, let me know."
"I will. Thanks."
After a few minutes, Jade saw them off. She was tired and wanted to spend more time with her dad; but she was ecstatic that she'd been able to help the two talk things out and break ground.
When she saw Henry walking out of his office, she saw the proud expression on his face. "Sounded like a good session," he said with an ever growing smile. Jade felt the blood rush to her cheeks.
"I mean, I was just being there for them."
"Sometimes that's what it takes, sweetie." He hugged her and looked back at the television. "Want to continue the marathon?"
"Yeah." She nodded, happy to just be there with her father. "Definitely."
I'm at a difficult spot right now. I feel like Jade's tale is ended and Tori's begins; but that would be the sequel and a story in of itself. Even the funeral, even this session seems like it should be in a continuation/sequel. For all intents and purposes, it feels like this is a solid ending as Jade and Beck have done their jobs and all the bad guys have been arrested. Any continuation should be from Tori's perspective, and that would be the next story. I'm not fully certain.
