Estrangement

Disclaimer: Don't own Victorious

A/N:Sorry for the wait, it might be a couple days again since I don't have the next chapter completely written yet, but I will get to it. Please enjoy this chapter

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Chapter 31 (Meeting the Martin Family)

"You're happy today," Zack complimented her as she hummed and prepared some sandwiches. She was practically dancing with every step she took and counting the days until she could go camping with Tori's family. "I'm guessing your group session with your sister went well?"

"It was great!" Tori packaged the final sandwich and looked to see Alex walking up, now intrigued by the conversation. "Trina's giving me a chance to meet her family by letting me go camping with them." She already bought the tent and other camping items. "I hope it goes well, I'm nervous. The last time I was this nervous, I can't remember." She tapped her fingers onto the counter and stared nervously at the sandwiches. She made them for her day with Zack and Alex, but she didn't think they were going to need them. They were going to be having dinner with his mother and father for the first time. The irony was in the fact that she wasn't nervous about meeting them, at least not in the way she was about the coming camping trip. "So I made some sandwiches for the road…I didn't even need to."

"Peach jam?" Alex asked while looking at the jar on the counter. He beamed and sniffed the air. "I'm ready to have one right now!" Her heart swelled as the boy reached for one of the sandwiches. At least she didn't waste her time, or bread. "I bet it'll taste great, Tori."

"Thank you, Alex." Alex took a bite out of the sandwich and sighed in contentment. Zack rubbed his son's hair and looked over to Tori with a playful smile.

"If Alex is pleased, I'd say you did just fine. I could add a couple in there for my parents."

"Nah, I don't want to fill everyone up before dinner." Tori watched Alex finish off the sandwich, laughing at how fast he'd put it down. "Your mom and dad, the remarried, you said?"

"Yes, around the time I graduated from college. I was surprised, but then, mom and dad always had a connection."

Alex started for the door, eager to get going. "Grandma and grandpa are great people." They lived a couple hours away, in the New York countryside. Zack mentioned already that they lived close to the particular prison that Cody was in, despite the fact that they did not see their incarcerated son often at all. "You'll like them."

The reason that Tori was meeting them at this point was because of the amount of time that she and Zack had been dating. It was on their most recent date that Tori told him that she fell in love with him, and much to her joy, he said he felt the same. He wasn't a man of many emotions, much like Trina didn't speak her emotions very often, but he showed it in how he acted, talked, and the things he did for her. Now that their relationship was on the official level, it was time to meet Carey and Kurt Martin.

Their day wouldn't end there, however. There was a second reason for meeting the parents now, and she personally requested to join Zack, despite his protests she wanted to be there for him. The parents were going to drive out to the prison to see Cody, there was an urgent letter that he sent to his family saying he needed to see them all right away. It was Zack's father that convinced him that he needed to see his brother, but he did admit that Tori's reconnecting with her sister may have inspired him to let loose a little. She was happy about this and curious to see what was going on with his brother.

Once at the house, Tori was amazed by how simple it seemed. It was just a one story home, square, and with a triangular roof. It had a brown door in the middle with a window on each side. The walls were yellow plaster. There were steps leading from the door to the sidewalk that traversed all the way to the mailbox.

She took a deep breath and slowly took Zack's hand in hers. He looked reassuringly at her and smiled as she gazed at the door. Alex ran on ahead and hit the doorbell. "The one thing making this easier than it would normally be for me…is the fact that I have a harder meeting after today." Zack chuckled softly and brandished his hand.

"You'll be just fine."

"What if they don't like me?" It's the same old question, the same one she had for Trina's family. "You know, I may never have told you this, but you're the first real man I've dated that hasn't been a jerk." He smirked with pride and puffed his chest out, intentionally making her laugh.

"I'll take that as a compliment."

"Good. Can't say I've ever had a relationship long enough where I met the parents. Unless you count Andre, but that was nearly twenty years ago and he was a douche in college. Then when you go to meet your brother, I'll be right there for you."

"You don't have to go if you don't want to."

"I want to."

The front door opened and Tori started to tense. She felt Zack squeeze her hand, soothing her. A woman with short silver hair stepped out, followed by a man with shaggy grey hair and a white moustache. They hugged Alex, then made their way to Zack. "Welcome home!" Carey hugged her son, then turned to Tori, grinning at her. "And you must be Victoria! Zack has told us so much about you. You're as beautiful as he's said." Tori blushed as the woman hugged her.

"It's good to meet you Mrs. Martin."

"Oh call me Carey. Mrs. makes me sound so old." Kurt smirked at his wife and folded his arms.

"Who says you're not?" He joked. Carey glared at him and smacked his shoulder with a huff. Kurt extended his hand, shaking Tori's and flashing a charming smile. "It's good to meet you, I'm Kurt. Zack and Alex have said a lot about you."

"Good things, I hope." Tori's blush deepened as she glanced towards Zack. The parents laughed and nodded. She was relieved to see they weren't strict pushovers. She almost expected them to be elitists, but the way Zack spoke of them, they never sounded the type. It was good that their son's wealth didn't go to their heads. "Zack's a good man."

"He is. Though, believe it or not, he was the 'bad' twin growing up." Tori laughed as Kurt gave his son a mischievous grin. The color practically drained from Zack's face when he realized what his father meant. "Oh Carey and I have lots of fun stories of our son's youth for you."

"And a picture album!" Carey exclaimed. Zack's eyes widened and Carey immediately grabbed Tori's wrist, dragging her into the house. The others followed slowly after while Zack's eyes remained locked onto his mother.

"Aren't I a bit old for you to be pulling the photo album thing with my girlfriend?" Carey scoffed and picked up a book from the coffee table. Tori took a seat at the couch while Kurt shook his head.

"As long as you're my son, you're never too old for your mother to embarrass you." Zack raised an eyebrow at his mother, then released a sigh of defeat.

Alex rushed over and sat beside Tori while Carey sat on the other side. Kurt motioned to the kitchen, offering Zack a beer. He asked if Tori wanted anything in particular, so she just asked for some water.

Tori gazed down at the photo album, seeing the picture on the very first page. There were two brothers, twins, standing with their arms around the other's shoulders. Carey's eyes started to mist as sorrow started to surround the air around them. "Zack is too proud to admit it, he misses his brother." Carey wiped her eyes and lifted her head, seemingly remembering that she wasn't alone. "I'm sorry about that, Victoria."

"It's okay, and please, call me Tori if you like." Carey met her eyes for a few seconds then smiled .

"Okay. Tori it is." Carey turned her gaze back to the album and moved her fingers to the photo, tracing them along her son's face. "Cody was never a bad guy. He was always the one to do the right thing, the type to send an apple to his teacher. I never thought either of my babies would wind up in prison…Zack and Cody were inseparable…I should never have let them go on that cruise ship."

Tori leaned back, still gazing at the photo. She smiled sadly as Carey flipped over the page. "You know. My sister and I, we're going through a similar thing. Not the same, but not that different." Carey looked up to her, moving a hand to her chest. "I haven't spoken to Trina in nearly twenty years because of my own actions. I was selfish, drove her away. I'm a different person now, but showing her that has been difficult. I've been slowly reconnecting with her, but sometimes it's hard when someone builds up that shell around them to protect themselves and those around them from the same things that may have hurt them a long time ago. If Zack and Cody were that close, like my sister and I were close before I went to high school, then they'll make a connection again sooner or later. Like sisters, brothers are the closest thing. I remember something that my best friend told me: Long after mom and dad are gone, siblings are the closest relative you have, the one relationship that will always be there even when friends come and go. So…I guess like my own mom, don't cry because your children won't talk, have faith that they will one day."

She honestly didn't know where those words came from, but she was glad to say them once she saw Carey smiling happily at her. She lifted her head to see Zack leaning back against the wall, watching with a proud expression. His dad was standing next to him, both were holding a bottle of Miller Lite.

"I only wish it were that easy," Zack remarked sadly, "You're right that it is different for you and your sister. Neither of you turned criminal."

"One day you won't have a brother," Kurt said under his breath. Zack raised an eyebrow while Kurt closed his eyes. "She's right. Long after Carey and I are gone you still have the promise of having a sibling to go to when you need someone. Criminal or not. Even Tori there, with her sister…how did you two reconnect, Tori?"

She shrugged and dipped her eyes down. "I needed help. I had nowhere else to turn to, and Trina was there for me." Zack pressed his lips together and breathed in slowly. "I know she didn't want to be, but I guess it was because I was her sister and she saw that I needed her after all these years…"

"If you didn't have your sister, then what?"

"Maybe I would be homeless right now, I don't know…It's hard to know, and hard to imagine what life would be like if I didn't know that Trina was there." This reminded her of something else she'd spoken with Jade about, something that really spoke to her heart. "Jade once said, the promise of having Trina to run to was because she was still out there somewhere. If she wasn't, if something happened to her, then I would have nobody. Sure I'd have my friends, but…friends really aren't forever like family. Family cares deep in the heart, no matter what happens. It feels good knowing your sibling's there, but if they're gone, there's the resentment of never having fixed what's wrong and knowing that you can never ever go to them for anything."

Zack took a small sip of his drink and lifted his shoulders. "That may be true. I don't see what it has to do with Cody, however." Carey bowed her head as Kurt's expression tightened.

"The reason we're going to see him," Kurt spoke in a hushed tone. Tori's heart stopped as she sensed something dreadfully wrong. Zack raised his eyebrows at his father while Carey seemed to tense. "In his letter he said what was wrong. He has cancer, Zack." Zack's eyes widened and his bottle slipped an inch in his hand before he firmly grasped it. "They think they found it before it spread, the prison doctors are going to do everything they can, but aren't sure right now where Cody's health stands." Tori's hand flew to her chest and tears immediately began to well up beneath her eyelids.

Zack started to grow numb as Alex's eyes widened. "Why didn't you just tell me?"

"We didn't think you'd want to bother. He is still your brother, like it or not. Your mother's scared the prison doesn't have good enough healthcare to help him fight cancer. We're praying, but we think it would be a good idea for you to see Cody now-because you might never get the chance again if he doesn't make it through this."

Tori bowed her head, scanning the table absently with her eyes. "He's right, Zack. If-If something like that happened to Trina, I'd be devastated." She lifted her gaze up to his. "You need to be there for him, you should talk to him. You only get one sibling…" Zack pressed his lips together and nodded slightly.

"Yeah…you're right. I think we should head out to see him…"

The drive out to the prison hospital was short, but emotionally long at the same time. When they arrived to Cody's room, they saw him sitting up in the bed with tubes surrounding his body. He had a buzz cut and looked like a skeleton, a shell of his former self.

"Cody?" Zack stepped in front of the others, resting his hand gently on the foot of the bed. Cody's eyes started to open and his lips turned up into a crooked smile.

"Z-Zack? I didn't think you'd come." Cody's eyes drifted towards Alex, who was clinging to his father's side. "Is that your son? He looks just like you." Tori started to tear up as she watched Zack gaze down to his son.

"Yes. This is Alex. Alex, this is your uncle, Cody." Zack motioned to Tori, signaling for her to come up beside him. Cody looked to her with a weak smile. "This is my girlfriend, Tori."

"She's beautiful. You have a beautiful family, Zack." Cody coughed and signaled for his parents to leave the room. Zack was concerned and a bit confused. "Zack, I have something I need to talk to you about." He lifted his hand up, taking Zack's. "I lied in my letter to mom and dad-I didn't want to tell Mom through the letter, but it's worse than that…" Tori could feel the oxygen leave the air as Zack looked ready to collapse. "The cancer, it's spread…Just like Mr. Moseby, I don't have a lot of life left in me."

"No…"

"I missed you, Zack. I wish we could have seen each other more, I know what I did to Bailey wasn't right. You were right to stay away from me. How-How is she? How are the Ross kids? Are they okay?" Zack bowed his head and clenched his eyes shut as he moved his hand over his mouth. Tori lifted her hand to his shoulder, feeling him tremble. She lifted her head to the ceiling as tears began to slide out.

"They're fine, Cody. As far as I know, Jessie-Bailey's married to Tony now. Emma, Zuri, Ravi, and Luke have all gone off to do their own thing. They're better now."

"Would you tell them I'm sorry? And you-I really am sorry, Zack. I don't know what happened to me…I lost it."

"It's okay, Cody. It's over now. Do you know how much time you have?"

"Maybe a couple months…You'll take care of Mom and Dad, right?"

Zack scoffed and smiled through his tears, squeezing his brother's hand as his voice choked up. "Yeah…I've been doing that for the past ten or so years now. I'll be here…if you need me to be…"

"Thank you." Cody leaned his head back against the pillow and breathed out softly. "I never thought I'd live and die in prison."

"Moseby always said it would be me." Zack chuckled mournfully as Cody started to smile. "I never thought you'd be in this situation though. I do miss you, Cody, believe it or not. You're my brother, you always will be, no matter how stern or strict I am, I love you man." Tori thought back to Trina and smiled to herself. Though Trina may never say those words out loud, she knew her sister would probably say the same things to her. She couldn't believe what was happening now, though. It was overwhelming, almost too much to bear.

"Zack. I'm sorry for screwing everything up. I really am."

"Shut up about that, none of it matters now…You can't change the past." Cody nodded and let his hand fall back onto the bed. Alex reached over, patting his uncle's arm as his eyes began to glaze over. Cody looked down to Alex, his eyes squinted happily and he moved a weak hand to the top of Alex's head.

"Hey kiddo, I hope you've been treating your dad well. Not causing too much trouble?"

"Oh me?" Alex choked up and shook his head. "No, I'm just like dad." Cody laughed for a minute, then coughed.

"Can't say I'm surprised. You'll look after your old man, I presume?"

"Of course. If it weren't for me, he wouldn't even be with Tori here." Zack closed his eyes as Tori smirked, how many times had she heard Zack tell his son not to get too big of a head? "Uncle Cody, it's good to meet you…"

"Good to meet you too, Alex." Cody took a deep breath and motioned to the door. "Zack?"

"Yes?" Zack spoke with a rushed tone, eager to help his brother. "What do you need?"

"Would you send mom and dad in? I need to sleep soon, I'd like to talk to them. I'll tell mom…you'll be strong for them right? Our parents?"

"Of course I will."

"Good." Zack made his way to the door, stopping as his brother spoke up once more. "It's good to talk to you again, Zack."

"You too Cody." Zack turned away and tried to conceal his tears as he left the room. Tori swept away her own tears and followed after him with Alex. She had to be there for him, and she would be during this difficult time. She could only imagine, however, if she and Trina were in this situation. She never wanted that to happen.

Siblings are forever, brothers and sisters. Though there will be rivalries or broken hearts, a brother or sister can be the closest friend you have. They may not always be there, there is no guarantee that you will always have them by your side, but there is a guarantee they may be there long after friends or family are gone. No matter how great the fight, always remember to cherish what you have and make sure every day you remind your sibling how much you care about them, because you never know when one day you'll wake up to find they aren't there.

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I do hope you enjoyed the chapter. The next will be up as soon as I have it written down.