Disclaimer: Don't own any series mentioned in this story.
Author's note: Yes, a big bad demon has been introduced into this story. I'll say one thing about Beck, which is exactly what I've said in my other story, Phases. Beck does seem like a good guy, which is why I'm not outright labeling him as a bad guy. He's just a regular person who is being manipulated by an otherworldly force. But that does not mean that Beck is without flaws, especially as he has done things in the show that don't paint him as the perfect boyfriend for Jade, which he isn't. Yes, Jade has shown to be tough to handle. But she's not impossible to get along with as she has her reasons. But Dan has stuck his characters out to be stereotypes, which Jade isn't. Point is, Beck has shown to be a jerk as a boyfriend, but he will not be a bad guy. Also, for anyone wondering about the pace of the story, it's all one big setup until the final sequel for the Hand of Fate stories, which I won't be bale to get to for a good while. So now, enjoy this chapter.
West Residence
Jade sat on her bed with her phone to her ear as she listened to the conversation with Cat in the middle of the late morning. While she hadn't heard from the redhead from some time, she still found it odd that her friend would request something as...odd as she was hearing now. She listened as the shorter girl tried to make her case.
"Sam has been a good friend to me Jade. She even helps me baby-sit and we've made good money. She's not bad anymore," Cat reasoned with the goth girl. Jade shook her head at the idea of the blonde being good. She had heard the stories about the blonde star of the web-show, which initially she didn't believe. It wasn't until the morning after their vampire attack that she had seen that the stories were true. She had peeked at Freddie as he was redressing and noticed some bruises that were covered fairly well, but she could still see. The bruises themselves appeared to have been inflicted heavily. She wondered how a girl Sam's size could do such damage to the young man.
"Cat, as much as I want to believe you, I just can't bring myself to do it. I saw myself what Sam did to him. I don't even understand why you would want to move in with her," Jade replied.
"Like I said, she's been a good friend to me since she came down here. She's been pretty lonely since Carly left," Cat replied sort of glumly.
"If she wanted a friend, she could've tried not being so ganky towards Freddie. We may not have been friends with Freddie for as long as you and I were, but it's easy to see that Freddie is someone who would've treated her right either way," Jade said, getting annoyed just thinking about the blonde.
"Well, they were boyfriend and girlfriend. Maybe she didn't want a reminder of everything she had done. Sometimes, no one wants to be reminded of the negative parts of their past. It's never an easy thing to face no matter how strong you say you are," Cat said. Jade's eyes widened at the clarity which her friend used to defend her roommate. She had always known Cat to be ditzy but had to admit that Cat had moments where she surprised her. She wondered just how much there was beneath the surface of the short redhead.
"I'll at least talk to Freddie and Tori. But you have to make sure she's not a jerk to him because he won't take it. And neither will I," Jade promised.
"Don't worry. I'll make sure everything works out," Cat said. The two friends exchanged goodbyes before disconnecting the call. Jade massaged her temples as she thought about the consequences that she knew she, as well as Freddie and Tori, were going to face if they actually went through with this. She had hoped Freddie would be able to stay away from Sam, so that he could be among real friends who treated him as a person and with respect. And a small part of her had to admit, she wanted him to herself as a result. She had ignored that part of her but couldn't completely disregard it. She thought that maybe she wanted she might be looking for a replacement for Beck. However, she felt completely different around the former tech producer, compared to her ex-boyfriend, let alone André. She her a knock on her door, followed by her mother, Ruby Lynn West, entering her room.
"Jadelyn? Everything alright?" the matriarch said. The stood appeared as an older variant of Jade, minus the gothic apparel. She was dressed in a red business suit, and had hair long brown hair down.
"Yeah mom. Everything's fine. Just clearing something up with Cat," Jade responded nonchalantly
"Would this have anything to do with the young man from iCarly?" Ruby asked her daughter. Jade looked at her mother in surprise.
"There's pictures of you and the Vega girl with him all over the internet," the West matriarch replied.
"Do I even want to know what they're saying besides calling us whores, sluts, and every synonym for the words?" Jade asked. Her mother looked to her with sadness. She had seen the comments from the fans and wondered why so many would be so cruel to someone they didn't know. But then when it came down to it, they were bullies hiding behind a monitor.
"It's nothing to worry about. Besides, he's single. What does it matter, right?" Mrs. West asked. Jade smiled softly at her mother before she got off her bed.
"Anyway, I just got off the phone with Cat. She wants me, Tori, and Freddie to come over to hang with her and her roommate," Jade said to her mother.
"What's the problem?" the matriarch asked.
"Her roommate is the blonde girl from iCarly," Jade replied with irritation lacing her voice.
"I'm sensing a horrifying secret coming up," the mother half-joked with her daughter.
"You're right. That blonde she-demon has been tormenting Freddie since they've known each other. One of the stories has him beating the daylights out of him with a tennis racket, almost breaking his arm, and then throwing him out of the tree-house they were in just because he had a different opinion," Jade seethed out.
"You mean about that boy who got his own show from another webshow?" Ruby asked. Jade nodded as she confirmed the information for her mother.
"Do you think Freddie would really be able to sit at the same table as someone who tormented him for so long? Grudges tend to last a while. Even if Freddie doesn't hold a grudge, that anger can eat away at him," Ruby asked her daughter. Jade thought on her mother's words and realized that she was right. She had caught Freddie's melancholic expressions every now and then since they met up. No matter how well he hid it, she could still see it for herself.
"I guess we'll just have to see," Jade answered as she moved to prepare herself for the day. Ruby tilted her head to the side as she looked at her daughter. She noticed that Jade had been different since the break-up with Beck. Jade told her about how she had ended the relationship and Beck's reaction. However, there was something with Jade's story that the pale young woman seemed to be covering up. She decided she would let it go for the time being.
Sheraton Hotel
Jade walked towards Freddie's hotel room hoping to get this conversation over with. She had gone over everything she wanted to say in her head, but no matter what she thought of, it didn't quite sound right. The most she could do is just be straight-forward and hope he doesn't lose it. As she approached the door to his room, she heard laughing on the other side. She knocked three times and waited, being rewarded as Freddie opened the door with a smile on his face.
"Hey Jade. Come on in. Tori's already here," Freddie greeted. Jade cocked her head to the side as she thought she might not have heard him correctly. As she stepped into the room, she looked around and noted the living area with the couch to her immediate left and a television to her right. In the middle was a coffee table, where a laptop sat, running what appeared to be a game. She noticed Tori sitting on the couch with an even bigger smile on her face before the lighter brunette took notice of her former rival's appearance.
"Hey Jade. What's up?" Tori asked. Jade looked between Tori and Freddie, thinking they must have been having fun playing whatever game was on Freddie's computer. She felt a pang of jealousy. Ordinarily, it would've been a combination of that and anger at seeing another girl have something she wanted. However, she stopped and thought back to what her mother said earlier about him being single. She wasn't quite sure why seeing him with Tori bothered her, but she decided to push the thought away.
"Not much. I'm actually glad you guys are here. There's something I need to talk to you about," Jade began as she took a seat on the couch to Freddie's right, with Tori on his left.
"What's going on?" the tech producer asked.
"Cat called this morning and said she wanted to invite us over for dinner at her place, with her and her roommate," Jade answered. She caught the look on Freddie's that showed his discontent. However, she wasn't too sure how he could feel this way.
"What's the big deal?" Tori asked. She caught the same looks as well but wondered what she possibly could've been missing.
"Sam is her roommate," Freddie replied. The brunette girls both looked surprised at his answer. Both were wondering how he would know, with Tori wondering if he was joking.
"How do you know that? We didn't even know that. At least I didn't until Cat called," Jade said.
"I ran into Sam right before we took that tour of the campus. I told you how she just up and left one day without a word. She told me that she ran into Cat and they became roommates. Of course, that was between her insulting as she always did. She even insults the girls who actually are interested in me, despite her dating me. Sometimes, I wish I could change that, so I won't have to walk around with another regret in my life," Freddie said tiredly. The girls listened and caught his tone and wondered how long did he suffer to sound so weary.
"Nothing changed?" Jade asked. Freddie looked at her as he thought on her question. He thought back to what she said were the reasons behind her breaking up with Beck a third time. They both seemed to have an understanding about their experiences.
"No. But it doesn't matter. She made her choice, Carly made her's, and I've made mine," Freddie said.
"What does Carly have to do with it?" Tori asked the young man.
"When Sam and I dated, we kept having problem after problem with each other. We went to Carly to try and bail us out until she couldn't take it anymore. She even helped come up with a plan to break us up when we weren't spending as much time with her, by using my my rejected camp application as a reason why. She even knew that Sam had changed my application so it would be rejected because I didn't know what time it was. And then when she started feeling guilty, I let her browbeat me into taking Sam back, even when she asked 'who cares'," Freddie explained.
"But what happened afterward?" Jade asked. She caught him trailing off and knew there was something that went down that involved more. Freddie let out a breath as he didn't want to relive the memories of that night.
"When I last spoke to Carly, I wanted to tell her how much I missed her. Sam left and I didn't even hang out with Spencer much. It just felt empty. When I did get in touch with her, I was ready to pour my heart out. But she's been dating another guy since she's been there. After I saved Carly's life, we dated but I listened to Sam say she only dated me because of what I did, not for who I was. And she was right. I told Carly that if she still wanted to date me once the casts were off and the hero thing died down, I'd be psyched. But she never said anything. She just dated one loser after another. And before she left, she gave me one last kiss. I wanted to talk to her about that night. But now it's happened again. That's part of why I'm here now. I needed a change in my life. And I wouldn't find that being stuck in the same place," Freddie revealed. Jade put a hand on his shoulder as she could literally feel the intensity of his emotions washing over her. Tori wasn't sure what to add as she had never known the pain that either of her friends had experienced.
"Everyone deserves a chance to change. Maybe, just maybe, dinner with Sam and Cat might be a new start for Sam," Jade replied. Freddie wanted to snort out a laugh but caught himself.
"Do you think she may have actually changed? It'd be a start," Freddie said.
"Well, no matter what happens, we'll be there for you," Tori said, comforting the tech producer. Freddie stared blankly at his computer before looking to Jade and then to Tori.
"Alright. Let's go. I just need to change and then we're leaving," Freddie said as he went to his bedroom and closed the door. Tori looked to her former rival with slight apprehension.
"Jade. There's something I need to tell you," the singer said.
"What is it?" Jade ask, wondering what could make Tori so nervous.
"When that whole thing with the Platinum Music Awards was going on, something happened. You might have noticed that Beck and I were hanging together, a lot. But when Mason fired me, well, the guys came over to comfort me. André and Robbie left, with just me and Beck...alone," Tori said, trailing off.
"He tried to kiss you," Jade said plainly. Tori's eyes widened, and she unconsciously stood up from the couch. Jade, however, gave a warm friendly smile.
"It's okay Tori. I'm not going to hurt you for it. If anything, I want to thank you," Jade said. Tori raised one eyebrow as she thought Jade might have lost her mind for a second. Jade took notice and began to explain.
"First, I should tell you that the only reason I even know is because Cat left the webchat open on her computer when I was getting ready. I saw the whole thing, from Beck flirting with you, to you rejecting him because, despite our...hard times with each other, you considered me a friend and didn't want to hurt me. And whether you know it or not, you indirectly showed what Beck was really like that night. I should've realized right then and there that Beck didn't love me, especially after he talked down about to you. I should've hit him where it hurts when he came up to me on stage. But all I could think about was having what I thought I wanted. But nothing changed. My definition of love was something that I just couldn't compromise," Jade explained. Tori looked as if her whole world had been shaken.
"As much as I'd rather not say it, you're right. Whenever he talked about you to me, I always brought up your shortcomings, but then I never noticed him treat you with the love and respect you should've been treated with. It's just as Freddie said," Tori returned.
"It's okay Tori. But there is a bright side to all of this. We're friends. And now we have Freddie. It's a start, but I think everything will be alright," Jade said. Tori smiled and sat back on the couch as they waited for Freddie to finish changing. Unknown to them, Freddie stood on the other side of the door listening. He thought back to how Carly and Sam treated him and allowed him to be treated. The incident with Fred was the real clencher as he just had a differing opinion and because no one respected it, he was ousted. But then from what he heard, Jade only wanted to be treated with love, which had been denied to her for three years. He recalled how they Jade had gotten back with Beck the second time and realized that the Canadian actor only wanted her when he realized that he couldn't have Tori and the other girls simply bored him to death. He shook his head and changed his clothes, realizing it wasn't his business to interfere.
Venice, California
Jade had pulled the car into the apartment complex, with Freddie and Tori having enjoyed the ride. The buildings themselves looked a bit more luxurious than they expected. Freddie thought about the upcoming reunion with Sam and thought about how much he wasn't looking forward to it. Tori realized that she and Cat might have to play mediators, as they knew when it came down to Sam and Freddie, Jade was on one side with Cat on the other. The car finally pulled into an empty space and Jade killed the engine. The three stepped out of the car and walked up the stairs to Cat's apartment. They came to a stop and Jade knocked and waited. They were rewarded with Cat answering the door and smiling brightly at them.
"Hi!" Cat greeted.
"Hey Cat," Jade replied warmly.
"Hey there Cat," Tori said.
"Hi," Freddie greeted a bit shyly.
"Hi Freddie!" Cat greeted as she wrapped Freddie in a big and warm embrace. Freddie shyly returned the hug.
"It's been so long. It's great to see you," Cat said, still smiling. She took his hand and pulled him into the apartment while Tori and Jade looked at each other and shook their heads. They always thought Cat to be odd, but they remembered she had moments where she knew exactly what she was doing. They still wondered who exactly the short redhead was beneath the surface.
"Come on. We made Italian for dinner. I hope you guys like it," Cat said, leading them to the kitchen. Everyone stopped as Freddie took in Sam's appearance in the apartment. He kept a straight, and somewhat stoic, face as he took in his ex-girlfriend, who he hadn't seen in weeks.
"Sam," Freddie said calmly.
"Hey Freddie," Sam said. The blonde looked to Jade, who was staring at her in malice, while she noticed Tori who seemed nervous. Cat spoke up, hoping to dissolve the tension in the room.
"Why don't we sit down and we'll bring the food out," Cat said, leading the visiting trio to the table. The three sat down and the tenants brought out the dishes and set them out on the table. The girls brought the entrees and began fixing plates for everyone. Sam and Cat sat down to join them.
"So what's been going on? Anything new happening with you ladies?" Sam asked, trying to break the ice.
"Oh, uh...not much. We're actually planning to attend UCLA for acting, music and stuff," Tori answered nervously.
"Okay. Why are you hanging around Freddie?" Sam asked. Freddie noticed that the question lacked the usual bite and insult that it usually did.
"You jealous?" Jade asked sarcastically. Sam looked back to Jade with a curious expression.
"Okay. What's the deal? Did I do something?" Sam asked.
"Not to me or Tori. But what you did to Freddie is inexcusable," Jade replied with a bit of heat in her voice.
"What?" Sam asked in return.
"Jade," Freddie said not really wanting to deal with the issue at the moment.
"I'm sorry Freddie. But I don't see any real reason for you or any of us to sit here with her and act like she's been such a great friend when she's just a bully who got away with too much," Jade said.
"You don't know me!" Sam shouted.
"I know plenty about you to tell that you're just some heartless gank who enjoyed screwing over someone who's been nothing but kind to you. He even took you back when you really a life dream for him. He was way too good for you to begin with," Jade seethed. Tori looked between Jade and Sam hoping a fight wouldn't break out.
"Jade please," the short redhead begged her friend.
"Cat, did you really think it would be this simple? You may be willing to look past everything. But what about Freddie? He's moved from everything he knew and loved because he thought he needed to get away from a place that was poisoning him. And I don't blame him for feeling that way. But what none of us can understand is why?" Jade finished off.
"You want to know why?! Why don't ask my dad?! Oh wait. You can't! Because he didn't stick around and my mom is just some dime-a-dozen slut who can't even make a decent attempt at being a mother," Sam raged as she answered the question. Jade argued back as that being no excuse while Freddie's head snapped up at her reply, not because of her answer, which he was fully aware of. However, something shocked him into looking up at his ex-girlfriend and what he saw nearly horrified him. As he caught a good look at Sam, he saw colors surrounding her. The colors were a dark red and black mixing together as Sam's anger came to the forefront. He looked to Cat as he noticed she had been silent during the exchange and was just as shocked. The faux redhead seemed to have a silver color surrounded her. He noticed her face take on an expression of confidence as she got out of her seat.
"Just stop, alright!" Cat shouted. Jade and Sam looked to Cat who looked ready to back either of them down while Tori looked in awe at her friend.
"Listen, I didn't want any trouble to start tonight. Yes, Sam has done bad things. Things she might never be able to take back. But we can't change the past. We're all starting new parts of our lives and there's no point in trying to remain stuck on what was. Both Sam and Freddie are here to begin something new. But they can't do that until they bury everything between them," Cat said to everyone. Jade and Sam looked as if they had just been scolded like school children as they both calmed down. However, Cat wasn't done just yet.
"How about this: Freddie will tell Sam exactly how he feels. And then Sam will tell Freddie how she feels and you two will work it out," Cat said as she sat back in her chair. The former couple looked to each other as if sizing each other up.
"Alright. Here's how I feel: Sam, for as long as I've known you, you've been bold, strong and confident. But you've also been arrogant, spiteful, and you never seemed to know when to stop even when I asked you. In fact, when I did, you basically said no and that you'd apologize every few years to get a clean slate. But we're at a point where that doesn't fly anymore. I could've just as easily been as mean to you as you were to me. But there was no point because that's not how I was raised, and that's not the person that I want to be. If you're going to keep being this way to me, remember, I will defend myself, at any cost," Freddie said as his eyes bored into Sam's. The blonde tried her best look away but couldn't as she began to see the kind of man Freddie would be.
"Freddie...I...I don't hate you. Jade's right. My parents being shitty is no real excuse. It's just...when I saw you around Carly and how she just let you in, I got...jealous. The girl was like a sister to me and it felt like you were taking her away. And since I'm on this whole 'honesty' kick, I do like you. But I shouldn't have done what I did. I'm sorry," Sam said, as she deflated in front of everyone. Freddie looked at Sam and could tell that, as strange as it was, Sam was being genuine. However, Jade was still on the lookout as she knew it wouldn't have been that easy. However, she looked to Cat who seemed happy that the blonde said what she said. She wondered what kind of affect the short redhead had on the blonde webstar.
"Awww! Everything's good now...right?" Tori asked nervously as everyone looked at her oddly. Freddie and Sam began laughing as it seemed the tension was leaving the room. Everyone dug into their meals and talked about any plans for the remainder of the season.
As their time together was coming to an end, Cat and Sam walked the trio to the door. Everyone was exchanging goodbyes as Jade, Freddie, and Tori left the apartment building. Cat watched them walk away and turned back to go into the apartment. However, she stopped as she felt something wrong in the air and turned back to look into the night sky. Her eyebrows furrowed as she thought about what she could be feeling.
"Cat, you alright?" Sam asked as she noticed her roommate hadn't followed her back in. Cat turned back and wore a forced smile.
"Yeah. I'm fine," Cat replied. The two walked back into the living area where they spotted a man dressed in a black duster, with black pants, a black shirt and black shoes, with black hair that came to just above his shoulders. However, both girls noticed his blood red eyes.
"Hello girls. It's nice to finally meet you both," the stranger said.
"Buddy if you don't leave, we're calling the cops," Sam retorted. The stranger simply smiled at her threat.
"An interesting ultimatum, Samantha, given your abhorrence of the authorities. You had the same fiery spirit as your mother had. Well, before my brother walked on her and, subsequently, you," the stranger shot back.
"I don't know who you are, but my life isn't some open-book weirdo. Now get out!" Sam said as she stepped in front of Cat. The stranger smiled even wider, but in a threatening manner, as he stood up.
"You think you have the power to order me? You know nothing of power, and neither does Catarina. At least not yet," the stranger replied cryptically.
"What the hell are you talking about?" Sam asked not liking where this was going.
"I'll show you," the stranger said, before he grabbed Sam by her shirt and threw her clear across the room. He edged closer to Cat who backed away until she hit a wall.
"So you're the one I'm supposed to be so worried about? Hmph. You may have some power, but you're just another puny human. Still, doesn't mean I can't have a little fun," the stranger said as he put one hand around Cat's neck with his mouth, which she noticed was open and had sharp canines, inching closer.
"NOOOOO!" Cat shouted as she put one hand to the stranger's face. The young woman opened her eyes, which began glowing in a silver light, and looked at her attacker. Her hand became surrounded by the same light that shine from her eyes and energy crackled from her palm. The gathered energy shot at the stranger's face and launched him into the opposite wall across the room. The energy dissipated from the stranger;s body after a few moments. He looked at the stunned redhead as he got back to his feet. He charged her, fueled with anger, until Sam blocked him and launched a left and right hook combo. She followed with an uppercut and grabbed his shoulders, kneeing him in his stomach a few times, before lifting him off the floor and throwing him across the room into a wall. Cat moved the blonde's side for protection. The stranger looked at the two young ladies and sneered as he knew this wasn't as easy as he initially thought. The sound of police sirens interrupted his musings. He looked at his right to a window and made a break for it. He jumped through the closed window, shattering the glass. Sam ran out to see if he made it, only to find him gone; the only trace of him being a lone black feather that floated down to the ground.
Sam turned back to the apartment and noticed Cat shaking. She walked over to her roommate and embraced her, feeling every bit as scared.
"It's okay cupcake. He's gone," Sam said, hoping to assure her roommate.
"It's actually happening," Cat said more to herself than Sam. Sam looked at her for a second but kept comforting her.
Outside of the apartment, across the street, the stranger that attacked Sam and Cat lurked in the shadows. He was so sure that the two girls were easy pickings but was proven wrong. He was still trying to shake off the effects from the blast that the short redhead had delivered to him. To top it off, the blonde had demonstrated strength that he didn't think she would have. However, he knew in the long, nearly forgotten past that others like the blonde had similar strength. He turned around as he sensed another presence by him. The being accompanying him was Ananiel, the same one who was with Beck the day before.
"Well, I take it that didn't go so well Turiel," Ananiel said.
"As if you would've fared any better," Turiel said.
"I would have because I've never underestimated humans. I was one of the many of our brothers and sisters who saw the potential they had when pushed far enough. Not to mention how dangerous the nephilim would prove to be, which is why Father flooded the world," Ananiel retorted.
"Alright. I get it. At any rate, you were right about Catarina. That blast she fired was too pure. She won't fight for us," Turiel said.
"Perhaps. But we always have the next best thing in Samantha. All she really needs to know is the other side of her heritage," Ananiel said.
The two disappeared into the night as they realized a change in plan was in order. They knew they master wouldn't be entirely happy. However, they figured there was still something good to be had from the night.