Dog Days of Summer

Disclaimer: Don't own Victorious

A/N:

Chapter 14 (Keep Trying)

The following morning Tori stayed on the front porch and watched as Jason helped out with some of the farm work. He got along well with the other workers on the farm, but it wasn't surprising to see so much respect for a Marine. Trina had already done her morning chores and was busy with a paper of hers.

The prior night, she took Ares to his word and stayed in the living room as Trina and Jason slept together. She could hear them talking through the night, so there was a number of things that could have taken place. She wasn't so naïve to assume they didn't at least had sex, especially not after the marriage proposal.

During breakfast she heard talk of heading into town during the week so Trina could introduce Jason to David and Holly. The parents already knew of him and were aware the relationship existed-much to Tori's surprise, but they never physically met him aside from the time Cat took him over to the house.

She hopped off the porch and started to follow Jason out into the fields where he was collecting some of the grain. Every so often he'd stop and wipe the sweat from his brow. His body was tan from the sunlight and his movements with the crops was swift and subtle. He truly looked as though he belonged on the ranch.

"I see why Trina likes you so much, or at least where the physical attraction comes in." He was attractive, both physically and in his personality. She wasn't going to lie, but she didn't think of him in the way that her sister might. "Oh Cat, you were so wrong. Just looking out for my sis, I know, but that just wasn't fair…I want Trina to be happy, I don't want to ruin anything for her."

Jason lifted his head from the bucket he was crouching beside. His eyes drifted to her and his eyebrows rose. "Ah Cleo, are you lost?"

One of the ranch hands walked over and leaned on the fence, pointing out to Tori. "Just one of the dogs running around, there's a lot of them. Want me to take her back to the house?"

"No, it's fine." He stood up and lifted the bucket. "Hey, Trina told me the farm's at risk. What all is going on with that? She's worried about losing the ranch."

"Yeah, they can't find out where Clarence's grandfather put the deed to the farm. If they can't find that deed, or find someone to purchase the land, they'll lose it. A couple of businessmen have been pressuring them to sell."

"They can't give up the farm, it's their life."

"Yeah, but Mr. Vega's health has been getting worse lately. If he passes on, then the farm is declared public land."

"Damn."

Tori tilted her head and looked back when she heard the sound of a car pulling up. A couple workers opened the gates to let the car drive in. When it stopped, Andre stepped out of the vehicle with both Cat and Robbie.

She hurried over to see them, hopeful that they were in good spirits. Behind her, Jason walked up. "Hey, you guys here to see Trina?"

"Yeah," Andre replied, "She told me to swing by and check out the kennel pups." Cat and Robbie looked to Jason with recognition and some admiration, a clear sign they'd met the man before-aside from the event at their teacher's home. "So you're Trina's boyfriend? Cat and Robbie told me a little about you, I'm her sister's friend."

"Andre, right?"

"Yeah."

"Good to meet you." Jason shook his hand and motioned to the house. "Trina's inside working on a paper. She probably won't mind helping you out though."

"Thank you." As Andre walked off, Cat and Robbie moved in front of Jason. Tori waited to hear what they would tell him, she was aware Trina sent them a text last night after the proposal. They'd become so filled with cynicism that they were adamant against the Vega family, so she wanted to know if they would try to influence him the same way.

"So you and Trina are engaged now," Cat stated quietly. "I'm happy for you guys. I know it was just last night, so I'm guessing you haven't decided on a wedding yet."

"No we haven't." He set the bucket on the ground and crossed his arms over his chest. "She wants me to meet her family first, so I'm looking forward to that." Cat smiled slightly and nodded.

"Well, I hope that goes well. They're not easy people to know." Tori rolled her eyes and looked away. She couldn't figure out how she could have poisoned her friends so badly.

Jason leaned to the right and chuckled at the duo. "I think it'll be fine. I've known some people who were pretty damn difficult to get along with. Trina's folks don't seem to be that bad off. They fight a lot, but they're worth respecting as Trina's parents."

"We'll you're marrying into that," Robbie stated, "So you have to respect her parents. Her sister even." Jason closed his eyes and sighed at him. "She hates them it seems like, always going on and on about how crazy Trina is or how insane her mother and father are. She just paints them bad, and she might do the same to you, so be careful."

"Trina cares deeply for her sister, you know. She's trying to figure out how to help the girl. You have to remember, maybe that girl's beyond help in your mind, but that's Trina's sister. She'll never be beyond help to her." Tori felt a calm rise in her chest and smiled at Jason. It was nice to hear someone else say this about her, but she did have to wonder if Robbie and Cat had a point in what they were saying.

"Well just be careful," Cat remarked. The girl crossed her arms and a scowl spread across her face. "That girl is vindictive and self-loving. You may have met Trina at some camp a year before we ever met you, but in Tori's mind she'll think she saw you first. She'll probably get pissed off and start a fight with Trina."

Robbie snapped his fingers and nodded, "I wouldn't put it past her either." Tori's heart sank back and her tail fell between her legs. They had experiences that were accurate enough to base these accusations, so she couldn't deny them. "How many times did Tori get into a fight with her sister because of some random shit?"

"You're wrong about me," Tori whispered, "You're wrong about us. Why? Why do you hate us?" No, that was too easy and far too obvious. She felt almost like Jade had, wanting to prove to them she wasn't bad so that they would like them again.

Unfortunately that went against what Shadow had said in regards to just accepting that she shouldn't do things just because she wants someone to see her in a better light. Again that was simply self-serving because the base desire was that somebody would see her as good, meaning it affected her own feelings.

"I want you to see me in a better light, but you don't have to. I know I'm not like that-at least I don't have to be. You don't have to like me, I-I'm trying to be okay with this."

"They do seem rather skewed in their views," Jade said. Tori flinched and spun around to see Beck and Jade staring at the people. "They have good reason for it, I guess. Shadow says we shouldn't help them because we want them to like us, he says we should do things for people just for the sake of doing something for someone else. Better someone else without expecting to be rewarded for it."

"Do you think they'll ever like us again?"

"I don't really know. Our treatment of them has been pretty negative for a long time. They might never want anything more to do with us."

"Doesn't mean we shouldn't still try and be nice to them," Beck stated. "If they don't feel like we value their friendship, well who's to say they ever will at this point? I find it ironic the only one defending us-or you-is Trina."

"Doesn't she have more reason to be on their side of the argument?" Tori bowed her head and struggled against the urge to tear up. She swallowed down the lump forming in her throat and closed her eyes. "It seems like she would."

"Why? She has more reason not to, I think."

"I don't understand that."

"You're her little sister." Tori lifted her head slowly and curled her lip into a half-smile. "Her first memory of you probably is you squirming around in a crib. First impression of her little sister consists of an innocent baby in the harsh realities of the world-granted that's a little deep for probably a two to three year old mindset, but it's possible that's how she views it now."

"You think she sees me as a baby." She let out a scoffing chuckle and shook her head. "Honestly, now."

"I think she sees you as her baby sister. You've got something Jade and I don't, a sibling. At least one that's still around. Cat and Robbie have siblings, so they get it. They're older siblings as well, but Cat has an older brother too that's in the military."

"And from what I know of him, he's pretty protective of her," Jade added. "Robbie's kid sister he's protective of as well, I think. It's just something all older siblings have, probably because of what Beck says-that kid sibling is just a baby to them because it's the first impression they have of them. You'll always be Trina's baby sister. In her eyes, she'll want to defend you probably for that reason."

"But she knows I'm not innocent. Everyone knows it now…"

"So maybe that's why she wants to help you?"

"I doubt she does, actually. I mean sure I hear it but it just…I don't see why she would. Not after all that I've said and done. I've poisoned everyone's image of her and of my family, I've spilled stories about my family that I never should have talked about. I became a star obsessed with my image and looking good so that I'd be accepted." She turned away and looked up to Jason. "Now I'm at risk of losing the acceptance from the people that should matter most-my family. Once she marries this man…I'll lose her."

"Why do you think that?"

"I don't know. I'm not dependent on her, I don't have an overwhelming need to have her in my life, but I don't want to lose her and I've wound up pushing her away because of my own stupidity. Same thing with mom and dad. If they split up, I just know it'll be my fault and I'll lose them. Maybe…maybe I should just focus on Hollywood, try and become a celebrity because that'll be the only thing I have left. I guess I chose it. More of a drug than I thought."

"Come on."

"Sorry, I need to go for a walk."

Jade rolled her eyes as Tori took off. She looked at Beck and sighed in defeat. "Just like I thought, it actually is a drug to her. She's reliant on it like drug addicts get to be reliant on Heroin."

"Reliant, Jade?"

"At least she thinks it's the only thing that can help her now. Or she's getting there. We can't get through to her." She turned her head to Cat and hummed silently. "Cat's always had a way with animals." Beck raised an eyebrow and huffed at her.

"What are you thinking now?"

She watched Jason pick up the bucket and turn around to Cat and Jade. "So are you two here to visit with Trina?"

"We were just dropping Andre off," Cat replied, "He's planning on walking back to town." Jason chuckled with disbelief and started to walk towards the house with the two.

"Isn't that a bit far?"

"He does a lot of walking." Jade glanced at the car, pleased to see the back door still open. Cat and Robbie would be leaving without Andre, so this was the perfect opportunity to slip in unnoticed.

Beck spoke with a warning tone, seeing her fixated gaze. She looked back at him and shrugged. "Well our friend needs help, so I'm just trying to figure out how to convince Trina that Tori's having difficulty. She seems to be friends with Cat and Robbie, so maybe…"

"Jade, there is nothing we can do as dogs to tell a human anything."

"Got to try something, can't you see Tori's self-destructing? At this rate she may just choose to stick around as a dog because she thinks her family's so bad off that they don't want her in their life."

"It's not our place, Tori clearly doesn't want us involved in this."

"I know, but she's our friend." As much as she never thought she would say such a thing, she was beginning to realize the futility of their situation. Or at least how they came to be this way. Only this time she wasn't thinking of what to do to be better, she just wanted to help. "Whatever happened in her past-god knows-it's affecting her today. She doesn't realize that families go through destructive issues and there's nothing that she can do to stop it. Trina clearly wants to help her, so we have to try to do something."

"Just be careful…You think Trina and Clarence aren't going to notice a missing cocker spaniel?"

"I'll try and get back when Cat comes back around. Just keep them distracted until then." Jade bolted for the car, jumping in the back and crouching between the front and back seats. Beck sighed heavily and watched as Cat and Robbie made their way back to the car.

His ears perked up when he heard Robbie utter something about his little sister going missing. Cat had been helping him drive through the woods behind his house, but they were at least five miles thick, and Ophelia had been missing for two days.

"That's not good…" He turned to look at the house one last time as a strange sensation tore through his gut. "I'm a German Shepherd-maybe I can help." In the last instance, he ran for the car and jumped in, causing Jade to flinch.

"What the hell do you think you're doing!" She screeched. "Stay here, don't worry about me."

"I'm not. I just heard Robbie say his sister went missing. I…want to help find her." Cat and Robbie shut the back door and entered the front seats. Beck poked his head up and glanced out the window. He felt a bit of guilt over leaving Tori alone here for the next few days, but it was a necessary evil. "We'll be back, right?"

"Should be. I didn't know Ophelia was missing."

"Robbie just said she'd been missing for a couple days, he thanked Cat for helping him look. He's going back into the woods behind his house when she drops him off, I'm going to help."

"Okay, well you do that and I'll stick with Cat. Meet up when we're done?"

"Of course. I know how to manipulate my way back into a car if I have to."

"And that is why I love you."

It is true, though not just with blood siblings but like in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program you really feel an almost paternal concern for the kid. It's also a true, sad psychological mindset when families go through divorce or fight a lot for the children to blame themselves. The reason Tori at this age still does is due to a particular event that happened in childhood as a result of the first separation between her parents (We saw that addressed in brief in an earlier chapter).

The only one that Tori will listen to is someone that understands, and that's what Jade's seeing. The initial selfless acts that lead towards the breaking of the curse for Jade and Beck will involve Beck's helping Robbie and Jade's helping Tori (which is why Tori's going through this crisis), but the ultimate for all of them is still the farm. Do tell me your thoughts on the chapter.