Disclaimer: I own Victorious, and if you believed that then I can also sell you the Golden Gate Bridge for a dollar.
Author Notes: In here Jade is back, too bad Tori isn't home to see her.
Warning; up ahead gets a bit dark, I'm not exactly satisfied with it since I didn't feel like it was anticlimactic enough but it is a huge leap forward in the Jori arc, needless to say that after writing and re-writing this chapter I eventually got tired, it's like my brain decided to shut down on ideas.
Still, hopefully you guys will like it enough.
Jade walked up the stairs, she had made this journey countless times before but this one was the hardest one in her opinion.
"You made it this far West!" She thought hardly to herself "Don't you dare turn back now!"
"Tori's is celebrating her six month sobriety next week" Trina said in the back of her mind "It would mean so much to her if you would come"
Jade would be lying if she was to deny the fact that she was very tempted to see the half-Latina's progress for herself.
But her stubborness clouded her judgement and instead of going to Tori's AA meeting she had another destination in mind.
The pale woman made it to the second floor of the apartment complex, the same place she once shared a home with Tori.
"This is so surreal" she muttered to herself once she was in front of the door of her former house.
If anyone had ever told her that she would be estranged from the woman she loved she would have stabbed them with her scissors, yes she still loved Tori, it was hard to get over so many years of affection between the two but that didn't mean she was so willing to forgive and forget just yet.
Jade was going to see if her girlfriend was able to earn her forgiveness if not, then they were done for.
Yes, Jade West still considered Tori Vega her girl ,which is why she never attempted to move forward and get another relationship.
She still held some hope for their future.
And maybe today she could get some confirmation once and for all that the tanned beauty could earn back her love.
... And trust.
So without further waiting she got a copy of the set of keys for the apartment, she didn't know how much time she had before the Vega sisters returned but she was going to look, for what? She didn't know.
"If Trina has been lying to me in your behalf Vega so help me..."
Once she opened the door Jade forgot the rest of her train of thought and silently went inside.
"Home sweet home" She sneered.
Wordlessly she went to the bedroom that was once theirs.
"I see Vega hasn't had the heart to change much" Jade muttered, the Goth noticed that her girlfriend had gone as far as to get similar artefacts that were of Jade's liking, wether it was to serve as a reminder of her past mistakes, a drive for the future or a glimpse of their past, she didn't know and didn't care to be honest.
once she made it to her former bedroom she opened the door and went inside, to her distaste she noticed Tori had redecorated not that she had any room to complain since she had pretty much done the same when she moved out.
"Too much pink" She groaned "I think I'm about to go blind"
The Thespian started her seach, she needed any indication that Trina was either telling her the truth or that she has been lying to her that Tori really was six months alcohol free.
She search diligently all over the apartment for any beer, wine, pretty much any alcoholic beverage Tori could legally acquire.
And after several hours of searching Jade had to admit that the place was alcohol free.
"Trina has been telling me the truth after all"
Silently she grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and sat down on the couch "Now what?"
Jade was so certain she was gonna find something that would hint Tori was not free from her drinking but she was honestly relieved to know that she was wrong about that.
She took a big gulp from the bottle, looking in all directors of the place she used to call home "If these walls could talk"
The Goth closed her eyes, so many memories came to her at once, good and bad, she remembers the first time they made love in the couch, the first time Tori tried to cook only for Jade to have to call the fire department afterwards.
A smirk reached her lips "You were so embarrassed Vega."
"Jade please don't ever tell my dad this!" Tori said within the confines of her mind.
"Why Vega, are you asking me to lie to your father the cop?"
"It's not lying!" Tori protested "I just don't want him to know I almost burn the building down"
"Your secret's safe with me sweet Sally peaches" Jade said with her mocking voice.
"I don't talk like that!"
"I should have know these moments weren't meant to last" Jade said bitterly "Every time I'm happy something has to screw me over!"
The a Goth took a deep breath before taking another sip of water, she almost expected the walks to comfort her in some way even if she knew it was impossible.
"Big fucking hit in the face when this time it just had to be Mrs Vega" She growled in disgust "The woman who supposedly loved her daughters above all else! Ugh, in all honesty if I expected anyone to give me shit over my relationship with Tori then I would have thought my dad to be on top of the list, he never gave me any kind of support growing up so why the hell expect any different from him right?"
She took another sip of water.
"But imagine my surprise when he not only approved of Tori but gave me his blessing as well, guess he's not the cold hearted asshole I thought he was.. Which is more than I can say for Tori's mother...So Holly Vega wherever you are, fuck you! FUCK YOU STRAIGHT TO HELL!"
With one final chug of the water bottle Jade got up from the couch and threw the plastic in the waste basket nearby.
As she was about to leave the apartment she noticed from the corner of her eye, from the bottom of the couch an object was sticking out, curiousity got the better of her, so she crouched to get a better view of the object.
"What's this?"
Jade removed whatever was beneath the couch, only to be met with a book.
"How long have you been here? She asked quietly, almost as if she expected an answer from the inanimate object.
Jade once again sat on the couch, inspecting the book and noticing how worn out it was, at first glance she suspected it could have been from a previous tenant but quickly dismissed that notion when she remembered the apartment being empty when both of them first went to check it out and eventually renting the place.
There really was nothing special about the book but something was calling to her to see the content of it, so without any reservations she opened it.
The first few pages were crude doodles of what she assumed were meant to be both her and Tori is romantic settings.
"Vega, you really need to learn how to draw"
As she got further into the book Jade began to notice the drawings became less frequent to the point where they got replaced by her surname and a number.
West 1
I contemplated suicide for the first time... I miss my Jade.
Jade was horrified when she read that.
West 2
I couldn't sleep so I drank till I passed out... Truth be told I considered it an unnecessary evil... Jade's not here to give me love... So what else can I do?
The Goth realized she was reading Tori's time away from her, when her drinking got worse.
West 13
Friday the 13, Jade's favourite holiday... I got a black cat but she ran away from here... I drank a bit to lessen the pain of abandonment... It's only a matter of time till Trina leaves me.
Trina doesn't know I cut myself.
"WHAT?! No no no no no!"
The further Jade read the more disturbed she got.
West 56
My first meeting at AA, I think it went well... Not going to lie I hate the fact that I have to go but I want to get better.
... I want to get closer to the day when Jade will hold me again.
West 107
I want a drink so bad, today was meant to me our anniversary, we would have been together for three years... But then I remember that the evil drink is what keeping me away from my Jade so I stop myself.
West 122
I hate sleeping... Jade is in my dreams... Every time she leaves me... Every time I die a little more.
Maybe I will die for real one day.
Of a broken heart.
West 144
Sciccors... I'm not allowed to be near them.
West 256
I'm making some progress I haven't taken a drink and I'm a bit proud of myself, Trina and my dad are too... Tomorrow I'll start my list.
"List? What list" Jade thought out loud.
she turned the page and true to Tori's written list there was a "To do list"
1) Make amends with the people I hurt.
Jade West.
Trina x
Dad. X
Andre x
Cat x
Sam x
Robbie x
Mr. West x
Jade noticed that her name was the only one that wasn't crossed off, not surprising since she never told Tori where she was living and she was certain atrina never told her.
2) Never take people for granted. X
3) Keep writting letters.
4) Help other members at AA overcome their drinking habits X.
5) Try to stop cutting.
Jade couldn't read any more, this nightmarish book was a clear view into the broken mind of the other woman, it was a side she never wanted to see in any aspect of her beloved brunette.
Several minutes passed as she sat in total silence.
"Am I responsable for this?" Jade thought "By leaving did I hurt Tori more than her mother? No... She hurt me first.
But by leaving I also hurt her back... Shit Shit SHIT!"
The Thespian put her hands over her face "All this time I been thinking of how Tori hurt me I never put into consideration how me leaving was affecting her!"
For all she knew the tanned woman saw her departure as a form of abandonment, the same type Holly was responsible for.
She wasn't teaching Tori a lesson, she was creating yet another emotional hole for her girl!
"Damn it... I'm not better than Holly!" Jade snarled "Ok fuck that I'm AM better than her, I may be as guilty as that woman for hurting my Tori... But I am gonna fix my relationship with her...I can't stay afar any longer.
She looked down at the alcoholic diary.
"This just proved it."
Putting the diary back in the place where she found it, not wanting to leave anything behind that could show she was in the apartment Jade made sure to leave everything the way she found it, once she was sure she finished her task she left the place with a renewed sense of hope.
"No more hiding"
The next morning Trina was making coffee for both her and her sister, last night's events had gone smoothly, she didn't tell her sister that Jade could have gone to see her at the AA meeting, it could have given her false expectations, and the last thing Trina wanted was to see her sister's hopes getting crushed into several billion pieces.
So she kept quiet.
The older Vega made her way to the front door, it was a daily routine for her to go and get the mail before doing anything else.
But before she went to the lobby Trina saw an envelope taped to the door.
"What the?"
She removed it and went back in side.
"For Tori"
Trina noticed there was no address, no stamps, no nothing, she instantly knew who this was from.
"Jade... About damn time."
As Luck would have it, Tori entered the leaving room/kitchen at that very moment with a big yawn.
"Morning Treen"
"Huh? Oh yeah morning Tor"
"What you have there?"
"Letter From Jade"
"Oh" Tori said tiredly, it took her brain several seconds to process what her sister just said until her eyes widened and she yelled out a "WHAT?!"
"A letter from Jade" Trina repeated.
"And...? What does it say?" The younger woman asked.
"Dunno... It's for you...I...I haven't open it"
"Well open it! Open it!"
"You open it" Trina said "It's for you and I'm not sure I want to know what it says"
"I... Ok um give it here?"
Tori received the envelope from her sister and nervously opened it up.
"Please be good news" Tori mentally prayed.
"We need to talk
Be at Nozu at five
Dont be late Vega"
Tori wasn't nervous anymore.
She was freaking out.
Then she fainted.
Had to give a cliff-hanger sooner or later, that's what a good writer does, no?
Someone made the good point that Jade was causing Tori more harm than good by leaving her rather than sticking through the situation and helping her get over her drinking habit, but at the time I believed that Jade was so tired of the constant run with alcohol and any person would leave but Tori was never abusive towards her, Jade just did not want to see Tori slowly kill herself, so she left.
Pin the end that coment gave me the perfect way to reunited the two girls in a sort of realistic way.
Now about Jade's time in the apartment, to be honest I was originally going to make our favourite Goth see a bunch of video diaries Tori made on her computer as a way to cope with her emotional pain but I eventually scrapped that idea when I began to write Tori's entries, I believe that it would seem way more disturbing for Jade to imagine Tori's grief stricken mind than to actually see it for herself, wouldn't you agree?
Curious fact: I was writting this while watching "Batman Beyond: Return Of The Joker"
Anyway, your thoughts?
Invader Johnny Signing Off.