Disclaimer: I don't own. I also seem to be unable to count, as this is the fourth chapter of a one shot. Help me...

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Tori smiled as she finished getting dressed. 'Not bad, considering this is in the middle of the day, on a weekday. Sure, it's a Friday, but Fridays a weekday, and a lot of people look fishy taking it off to attend a wedding. Still, according to Robbie, we've have a good turnout. Just glad we were able to get this venue...'

Her eyes glanced up to Rachel, the girl doing her hair and makeup, a cute Asian who couldn't be older then sixteen. "So, you've done this before?"

"For plays, but never a wedding." Rachel commented. "But when they said they needed a makeup artist for a wedding, I jumped at the chance to earn some cash"

"Gotta admire the practicality." Tori said, enjoying the quick, last minute adjustments. "You like the dress?"

"Just a little pincessy, but that's just me." The makeup girl said. "But considering who you are, I guess it fits you." She hesitated, not sure if she wanted to ask the next question. "Um..."

"Okay, ask." Tori said, suspecting it was a question she had hoped to avoid.

"Why is it this is the first I've heard of Tori Vega getting married?" Rachel asked. "I mean, no one even knew you were seeing anyone, and now, your getting married right here at Hollywood Arts."

"Love the new facilities." Tori deflected.

"Yea, lucky us they could find a place after our old building was condemned." The makeup girl said. "So, why'd you hide your intended spouse?"

"Oh, you know..." Tori waved the question off.

"He that ugly?" The girl asked.

"She's absolutely gorgeous." Tori told the girl. "And I know, soon enough, she'll be as famous as I am. So can you blame me if I wanted to have her all to myself, just for a little while?"

"I suppose not." Rachel agreed. "Not sure about the whole lesbian thing. Nothing against it. Just, my boyfriend thinks all girls are at least bi, and I think he's a misogynistic S.O.B. who's lucky that none of the girls here are as violent as the legendary goth who used to stalk these halls."

"Um, legendary goth?" Tori asked. "Wait, why are you dating a misogynist?"

"He's hot." Rachel said with a shrug. "So, did they have the legend of the terror of the West back when you went here? A student even the faculty feared."

"God, Jade has a big enough ego as is..." Tori groaned.

"Wait, Jade?" The girl's eyebrow popped up, as her curiosity grew. "So you knew her?"

"Not only did I know her, I..." Tori didn't get to finish that statement before the lock on her door jiggled, and a loud voice shattered the pre-wedding bustle.

"VEGA!" Jade screeched, her hand shaking the door, the one chosen for what Sikowit had assured her was a Jade proof lock.

"Jade, calm down." Tori called out through the door. "If somethings bothering you, talk rationally, cause your scaring my makeup girl."

"Jade?" Rachel mouthed.

"Vega, what s it about the concept of casual that escapes you?" Jade wasn't yelling, but her voice sure did carry, even through the door. "And why are you hiding in that room?"

"It's bad luck for the bride to be seen in her wedding dress before the ceremony. It's why we spent last night in different places." Tori replied. "Now, if that's all, you can finish getting ready, and you'll see me soon enough."

"Not doing it." Jade snapped.

"Jade, sweety, babe," Tori smirked at slipping the last one in, considering how her soon to be wife hated being called that. 'Except when she loves it.' Tori thought. "Baby, you signed a contract, so we have to do this."

"You put this in the contract?" Jade seethed, her voice wasn't too loud only because Tori could hear her grinding her teeth. "No, your fucking friend, Mason Thornsmith, put it in the contract. Just like he outed me at Puppies. Puppies! I can never go back there. It's just a miracle that the press isn't all over this place, this wedding."

"You see what I have to deal with here?" Tori asked Rachel.

"Is she as bad as the stories say?" Rachel asked, now suddenly wondering what she'd signed onto.

"Ask Sikowitz." Tori sighed. Then louder, "Jade, sweety, your scarring the makeup girl."

"GOOD!" Jade snapped.

"Sikowitz is the one telling the stories." Rachel said, looking for an escape. The room had only one door, and it led out to where the legendary goth stood, wazzed off in the extreme. "Does she still carry scissors?"

"Yea, probably wearing her favorite pare right now." Tori said, smiling. She raised her voice again. "Jade, this is my compromise."

"How the fuck is it a compromise?" Jade asked, her body shaking with rage. Tori wanted to see, because for some sick reason, she liked to watch Jade's chest. "There must be fifty people out there."

"Yea, that's about right." Tori agreed. "Jade, listen and listen good. Most girls dream of their wedding day, to the point that many a bridezilla is just trying to reach the impossible level of their dream. Me, I had fairly simple dreams, so I limed the guest list to family and fiends who had to be here."

"FIFTY PEOPLE?!" Jade screeched.

"My parents, Trina, her date, Gary, plus friends, my cast mates, Mason and his family. I saw the suit they had Francis in, and he looks so much more like a man now. I just wonder, how is it he's still with Rhoda?" Tori seemed to be getting lost in her observations.

"So no one from my life?" Jade asked, but her voice was lower. Tori could almost feel the hurt, hidden under the pale woman's rage.

Tori spoke softly. "Not good whens she's not yelling. Jade loves to yell." Then louder. "Robbie, Cat, Beck, Andre..." She was listing.

"Who are all your friends too." Jade said, her voice still loud, but definitely not yelling.

"She's building up for a total wazzfit." Tori told Rachel. "Watch me disarm her."

"And how do you intend to disarm me?" Jade asked. "One swift kick, and I'm in the room, seeing my lovely but annoying bride before the wedding."

"You're parents are here." Tori said, just loud enough to be heard through the door.

"But she doesn't get along with her parents." Rachel protested.

"Doesn't mater." Tori waved the girl off. "She's always wanted her dad's approval. Maybe he all but abandoned her when she went off to collage, making her pay her way and everything. Maybe she hasn't spoken to either of her parents in almost four years. The thing is, today, on her wedding day, her dad being here will mean so much to her, cause she's always wanted his aproval."

"You know I can hear you, right?" Jade said, barely hearable through the door.

"How is it you have such good hearing?" Tori called out to her girl.

"What makes you think I want my dad here?" Jade asked, her voice once again seething.

"Because you want him to approve of you." Tori replied, knowing she had the winning had here. "I have money, and even though he hated that we're in entertainment, he'll approve of you marrying someone with money."

"I don't want YOUR fucking money." Jade snapped.

"Says one of the most greedy people I've ever met." Tori said. "However, I must admit, had you been motivated solely by greed, you'd have kept performed in that hamburger outfit."

"Never mention it again." Jade warned.

"No, I'll bring it up any time I want, to remind you that we all were a bit greedy back then, and despite your now known situation, you could walk away. When you had everything to gain, and not that much to lose, you were able to walk away." Tori scolded the door. "Now, you go out there and do what we agreed, have Sikowitz officiate at our wedding. I'll be out shortly." Tori shook her head. "And Jade, let your dad walk you down the aisle. And you'd better be wearying your wedding outfit."

"You don't scare me." Jade snapped.

"No, but you signed the contracts, including the prenuptial agreement, and the codicil, which included a couple of things about the wedding." Tori explained, her own voice now clearly frustrated. "So go, enjoy our special day, or I might just sue you for breach of contract."

"I don't..." Jade said, but it was obvious that Tori had taken her by surprise.

"I love you, damn it, and I'm not losing out on a special day just because you don't fucking care about the wedding." Tori snapped. "Now go, cause I'm almost done, and it's time to get married."

"So, happy couple?" Rachel asked.

"She's just cranky cause the press almost outed her yesterday. But Perez Hilton is a friend of Masons, and they put a lid on any stories about her marrying me for until after the weekend. You know, so we can have our wedding in peace." Tori explained. "Now, lets get ready, cause I'm getting married." Tori sounded so excited.

On the other side of the door, Jade was staring at the wooden obstruction, as if her rage alone would enable her to burn her way through. "I love her. I really do." Jade whispered. "I love her, so I'm putting up with this farce. I love her, I really do." She started drifting towards the new Black Box theater, repeating her new mantra, of how she loved Tori, and wound find some way to pay her back for this, eventually.

Jade was brought out of her chant by the sound of a familiar voice, letting her know she'd reached her mark. "Who'd have guessed either of us was capable of love?" The blue eyed girl looked up quickly, to see her father actually smiling. "But we're still human, as much as we've tried to live without being happy. What I never understood was, why did you do it? For me, it was always about duty. I had my family to provide for, including making sure my progeny was capable of taking care of themselves."

"Is that why you never supported me?" Jade spat, finding it easy to transfer her anger to this man.

"Exactly." He said, sounding triumphant. But after a moment, his smile dropped. "Maybe you don't get it, and were just showing your ire at me."

"You're sending Brock to collage." Jade said, not sure why he was so happy.

"Am I?" The man asked. "I would claim that your collage money went to paying for you to attend this school, but it's like the myth of the ivy league collage. Once your in, there's so many grants and other ways to pay for your education, it's why this place is considered part of the regular county school district, and they can fire the principal. But the truth is, I'm not paying any more for his education then I did for yours. No, Brock, like you, is on a scholarship. In his case, wrestling, plus academic, but I'm worried because his scholarship covers a lot more then yours did. He doesn't need a job. That means he's not gonna understand the value of his education. Not like you did."

Jade stared at her father, now clearly confused. "Let me ask you something. If I hadn't made you work for it, for the right to attend whatever school you wanted, to get the education you desired, would you have worked as hard as you did at school?" He looked her in the eye. "Jade, I raised my children to be fighters. To fight for everything they have. I knew, sooner or later, I'd have to play the obstacle, so you'd grow into the kind of person who can take care of herself. And you did. This marriage, it's going to work, despite your young age, because you're not using it as a go around. You'll put the work in this time, and so the fact that she has money won't matter so much. In fact, I expect you to keep her grounded." His face split into a smile again. "By the way, I love that this is a simple affair. No grandiose display for the guests, just a simple wedding, with a small list of people."

"Fifty's small?" Jade asked, finding something to snag onto before she got married. She felt so confused, she needed something, something simple, to focus on.

The next sound Jade heard was so rare, it took a minute for her to connect it with her father. He was laughing. "Considering how many of them are her business contacts, of course." He smiled. "A dishonest person would have insisted on an out of town wedding, then sent the invitations three days in advance to like hundreds of people, hoping to get gifts without having to splurge on food or even much of a wedding. This is better, a month to plan it, and you have everyone you need, right here. Of course, if people needed to come in from out of town, then you'd have had to plan it a bit more."

"This is just a ceremony, no reception." Jade said.

"Oh, there's gonna be a reception." Her father seemed almost to be warning her. "Just probably not until after the honeymoon. People like to celebrate things like this."

"Tori kinda sprung this whole thing on me." Jade admitted. "I wanted a city hall wedding, and then she said she'd get Sikowitz to officiate, and I'm ashamed to admit, I had no idea she'd do this to me."

"She loves you." Mister West said. "And she challenges you. And not in that fight and make up kind of way fluffy hair did..."

"You know he's here, right?" Jade cut in, her own warning.

"And Melinda is no doubt enjoying the view." Her father said. "But the point I'm making is, you surrendered the planning to her, just as long as she met your stated limits, right? She adjusted, given said limits, and we have this here. I respect her for that, just like I respect you for holding onto that crappy waitressing job as long as you did. Putting in your two weeks so you'd be done just before the wedding, then working your last day just twelve hours before you marry a successful actress slash singer slash who knows what? Shows your dedication to work, just the attitude I wanted to instill in you."

"So what, I'm supposed to thank you?" Jade huffed, feeling her feet back under her.

"Would be nice, but not really necessary." The man said. "Jade, I don't approve of show business. Too many people try to make it, and too few do. But given the focus I've given you, I know you'll do everything you can to be one of the few. And even if you never made it, I know you'd have the will, the sacrifice, to support yourself. As I said, you'll keep your wife grounded, cause she got her success way to early. Someone has to keep their eyes on the long term prizes. Might as well be you."

"And your telling me this why?" Jade asked. "So you can walk me down the fucking aisle?"

"There comes a time when being the obstacle becomes counter productive." Mister West explained. "Now we try to see if we can fix out relationship, so I can be there when you need me. See, my father never was there for me. His neglect was more a result of his not understanding the truth that much of life is hard work. He didn't have what it took to be a good parent, let alone a decent provider. He did figure chiz out by the time you needed an ally, even if he let you destroy things with that hammer."

"I needed the release." Jade hissed.

"Which is why I sent you to him." The blue eyed man said as if it were obvious. "Jade, you don't have to forgive me, or have any kind of relationship with me. Knowing you're gonna be just fine is thanks enough. Now, lets get you married. Just remember, being married, or a parent, is about sacrifice. You're gonna have to put off doing a lot of things you wanna do so you can take care of your loved one's."

"Like giving Tori this wedding?" Jade asked.

"It's important to never be a doormat, but at the same time, answer me this. What kind of wedding did you dream about?" Mister West asked.

"I didn't." Jade replied. "I never thought of myself as getting married. I mean, Beck might have convinced me, but it wasn't really an option. Not to my mind. And after we broke up, it became such a foreign concept..."

"And yet, here you are, barely a month after being asked, and your getting married." He pointed out.

"I told her, if we were gonna do it, best not to stretch it out." Jade shrugged. "Just get it done with and over, and get on with living our lives."

"So she compromised, and now it's your turn." Mister West said. "So, it looks like it's time. The band is playing the wedding march, and we're ready. I've given you the best advice I can. So now, lets go."

Jade sighed. "I'm getting married in a tux.' She said, as if somehow, it hadn't even been noticed before.

"Oddly appropriate." Her father sniped, and then he led her down the aisle, to where the quirky teacher was standing, bare foot as ever, to officiate the wedding.

Jade stood there waiting for Tori, and wondering what else was planned for this day. As Tori walked down the aisle, Jade realized that Cat had made the clothes for this ceremony, and the Latina looked stunning, as always. Their friends were all present, and students acted as band and ushers. Andre would stand up for Tori, while Brock won the right to stand up for her by virtue of Jade not currently having a best friend, and Cat wasn't choosing sides. In fact the perky redhead was sitting front row, rooting for both of them.

"Ladies and gentlemen, all I'm required to do, as officiator of this wedding, is observe these two declare their love for one another. So I'm gonna sit down, just after I give them their instructions. Tori, Jade, your about to get married. Improvise a quick set of vows, telling each other how you feel, and don't forget to put the rings on one another. I believe Cat has them." He walked over to an open chair in the front row, nudging Cat to make sure she had both rings. "Jade goes first, and ACTION!"

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Okay, I wrote most of this before I wrote chapter three. No idea why, cause then I had to go and modify this for some of the chiz that came up in the third chapter. Like Mason… Anyways, I hope you enjoy the whole wedding sequence. I loved how Sikowitz approached the vows like an acting scene. Thing is, in California, if you can officiate at a wedding, you only need be there to witness, and sign the license. I've met someone who officiated a wedding by functionally being a guest.

Who liked this version of Mister West? A very different version of him, won't you agree? I hope that made some level of sense, cause this, I hope, is the final chapter of the one shot.

Review, and let me know what you thought.