Forsaken Thy Happiness: A tale of Tori Vega
Disclaimer: I do not possess the rights of ownership over the characters or setting of Victorious, copyrights or trademarks thereof are the property of Dan Schneider and his associates. I don't write for monetary compensation nor will I accept any recompense for this. I wrote this tale using the characters for purposes of entertainment and just for fun. No offense or infringement is intended, and I have no desire to anger the powers that be.
This tale is told from a variety of perspectives but it is focuses on Tori's point of view and thoughts.
Robbie and Rex entered the room with Cat in tow, the boys were carrying grocery bags full of food and beverages (though how Rex was carrying a bag twice his weight puzzled Jade greatly) while Cat deposited six sleeping bags on the floor. Robbie set Rex down and took the grocery bags to a corner of the room and placed his palm on the wall at shoulder height. A mini-fridge sized section of the wall swung out to reveal a concealed storage refrigerator, into which the supplies were placed.
Jade and Tori were already getting ready for bed, since Jade had laid out her sleeping bag next to the hospital grade bed that Beck had retrieved from the nearby storage area that Trina set up six months ago when Tori was rendered unresponsive to the world after the incident. It still amazed Jade and Beck how much effort and expense Trina had put into creating this little suite. The clinic had been recommended by none other than Alexander Lane and Erwin Sikowitz as a place that specialized in cases like Tori had. The actual room was rather spartan, but as Victoria couldn't help but notice that it only looked like it didn't have any equipment. The others made sure to use the restrooms in the clinic down the hallway to get dressed for bed, to preserve their sense of modesty and to avoid making Jade angry.
Victoria felt at ease since her lover was in the same room as her, and Robbie and Cat were snuggled up in their sleeping bag. Beck was out like a light, since he had been working all day on filming a short movie for a local production company. As she drifted off to sleep, she wondered whether her friends would still be there in the morning. Close to about five in the morning, Victoria began whimpering and making soft noises of emotional distress because her dreams were about the Incident:
Jade made a valiant effort to pout adorably but failed, earning a round of snickers from the other girls in the group. The guys on the other hand, were busy discussing their respective jobs and how unappreciated they felt by their employers. Upon debarking from the metro rail at the Santa Monica stop, the group decided to make their way to the midpoint of the Pier, where they could sit and watch a fleet of large ships shoot fireworks from their decks. All the while, Robbie and Rex were arguing with Cat about whether Robbie had worn girls' jeans again, Beck and Trina were busy stealing secret kisses with each other. Jade's eyes were glued to the hypnotic display of explosions in the air, while her body language spoke of a desire to be anywhere other than near such a loud cacophony. "Tori, babe, have I ever told you that I hate fireworks?" Jade remarked to her Latina girl with a mixture of discomfort, annoyance and begrudging fascination. Victoria was about to answer when a rocket firework shot off course with a piercing shriek landing right on a storage bin of unused fireworks at the edge of the pier.
Time seemed to slow down, Victoria's hearing seemed to go silent as lethally beautiful chain reaction started, multiple fireworks going off everywhere landing amidst the crowd. One or two of the more restricted fireworks hit a pinto's engine block touching off a one-in-a billion explosion like something out of a cheesy action movie. The flaming car pinwheeled through the air towards the gang, as they ran as fast as they could. Victoria felt something knock her off her feet several meters forward into the ground, at the same time something slammed her head into the hard surface of the pier. "NO! Tori!" Jade's voice rang out in a scream of rage and denial somewhere above her.
Jade, having woken up to the sound of Tori whimpering from having a nightmare, gently stroked her cheek, causing Tori to awaken with a start. "Tori, what were you dreaming about? Was it the accident?" Jade asked her lover worriedly in hushed tones because the others were yet asleep.
Victoria nodded yes after she got her tears and fear under control, a sight that prompted Jade to give her girl a comforting squeeze-hug. Victoria began to tell Jade about the dream: "Jade, I think that car landed on me or something, because I couldn't move or see anything when you screamed." Jade nodded her head, though a frown was on her face, as she thought back to the event that nearly tore her girl away from her. "Tori, I think I will tell you what I remember, and maybe that might help you," Jade told the love of her life, while trying not to cry at the thought of revisiting that night.
A/N: unexpectedly, this is turning into a multi-chapter that might go longer than I originally envisioned. Maybe five chapters or so.