Dog Days of Summer

Disclaimer: Don't own Victorious

A/N:

Chapter 18 (Decline)

Tori paced the floor waiting for Trina to return home, she'd gotten a call from Cat the day before letting her know both Beck and Jade were with her and wasn't able to leave until today. "She's been gone hours," Tori muttered, "How long does it take to drive out to Cat's place and collect a couple dogs?"

She got the call last night after coming home from a date with Jason. "Why are you pacing around like it's the battle of Guantanamo all over again." Tori stopped and scrunched her face at Ares's words. She turned to him and saw him standing tall and with his eyebrows high. "Relax, you're not going out to war."'

"How do you even know about that, or are you just saying some phrase?"

"I know about the Spanish American War and others like it. Jason studies quite a bit." Ares walked over and peered down at her. "Now, why are you acting like the dog form you have? Trina has a lot of errands to run, I'm sure, but she'll be back soon enough."

She swallowed a lump in her throat and slowly pawed the ground. "Yeah, I'll try to relax." It was easier said than done, and she'd already worked her heart up to a pace she never thought it could rise to. "Where's Grandpa Clarence at? I know Jason's working in the fields."

"Right-Clarence is taking a nap." Ares sniffed the air and looked off to the right. "Though he's been asleep longer than usual for just a mid-afternoon nap. He and Shadow both, but then, Shadow's always sleeping." He rolled his eyes and started for the hallway. Tori was tempted to follow, but opted not to.

There was a feeling that she couldn't shake, it felt like something was wrong. She had to know Trina was okay, along with Jade and Beck. "They still should have been back by now."

Tori walked over to the front door and put her paws up onto the screen so she could get a better vantage point. She could see Jason out by the pig pen, feeding them. "At least that's going as expected. Wonder when he goes back…"

She wasn't sure on what she overheard the prior night, but it sounded like Jason might have to go back tomorrow or the next day.

Relief sparked in her when she saw a car pulling into the farm. Her tail started wagging and she barked excitedly seeing Trina driving it. "Finally, she's home!" Tori bolted through the doggie door and charged for the car, erupting still in a fit of barks.

When the car stopped, Tori raced to the driver's side of the door and began jumping until her sister could get out. In the back seat, Jade's head popped out of the window and gazed down at her with laughter. "Aw look, Tori's acting like a typical dog." Tori continued her tireless bouncing and shook her head.

"I know, and I don't care!"

Trina looked down at her with a smile and bent over to pick her up. "Well I'm glad you're happy to see me, Cleo."

"You're late! Why were you late?" Her legs flailed in the air. Tori reached up, licking Trina's chin. "I was really worried." She could hear Beck and Jade laughing at her, and normally it would derail her, but not this time.

The couple hopped out of the car and walked over to Trina's feet, looking up at Tori. Jade's eyes were narrow and her voice was filled with a sense of agitation. "We had to stop by the vet because somebody decided it would be fun fighting off a bear and a pack of coyotes!" Tori raised an eyebrow as Jade shot Beck a scathing look.

"It wasn't like I had a choice," Beck's head and ears fell, and his tail was slowly moving from side to side.

"Oh you had a choice! Not getting yourself killed being the preferable one!"

"They called me a city-slicker mutt that doesn't know a real thing when I see it."

"You aren't even a real dog, you're human in a dog's form!"

Tori stared at them with a great deal of confusion, but honestly didn't feel like she wanted to ask or even know what Beck wound up doing that got him into so much trouble with Jade.

"Alright. Artemis, Rover, let's get inside." Beck and Jade barked to acknowledge her and followed Trina to the porch. She stopped on the patio and called out to Jason. "I found them!" Jason stood from his work and wiped his brow with his sleeve.

"You said Cat had them?"

"She had Artemis. Rover was over at Robbie's-he helped find Ophelia." Jason leaned against a shovel and asked if the dog was alright. Trina reached down and scratched Beck behind the ear. "He's healthy. Took him to the vet to make sure everything was okay. He's got a few cuts, but they'll heal. We need to apply some antibiotic treatment every so often."

Jason walked over and looked over Beck with a chuckle. "Maybe you should have named him Scrapper." Jade rolled her eyes and Tori looked down to the dog. She was amazed by the suggestion, Scrapper was much better than Rover! "Robbie's sister alright?"

"She's fine." Tori exhaled and shook her head. "I'm glad they found her before anything bad happened. I don't know what I'd do if I were in Robbie's shoes."

"Go nuts?"

"Probably." Trina laughed. Tori felt a squeeze and lifted her head as Trina hugged her close to her chest. "I don't know what these dogs were thinking, running off like that. Makes it seem like what Cat and Sam said was-" There was a hesitation that caused Tori to feel a sudden rush of concern. She glanced up to see Tori gazing at her with a subtle frown.

Jason leaned against the porch pillar and folded his arms across his chest. "What's the matter?"

"Nothing to worry about, but I think I probably ought to call Tori. She hasn't picked up her phone since she was supposed to head off to Italy." Tori whined at the mention of her phone, she hadn't truly thought about it since the transformation.

Very likely the phone was sitting at Madame Fontane's shop with Beck's and Jade's. "Shouldn't you know if she's made it there?"

Trina shook her head, "The phone's been turned off. It hasn't updated its location at all." Her heart skipped and she snapped her gaze up to her sister. Trina was tracking her phone? "I like to know she's safe. Maybe she's turned it on recently."

"Where was the last GPS signal?"

"Outside some magic shop…" The hesitation in Trina's tone returned, signaling Tori that she knew something more. Her eyes moved onto Jade with suspicion. "Anyway, let's head inside, unless you have more work to do."

"I still have to feed the chickens."

"Okay. Get on that then come inside when you're done. I'll have some soup on the stove for you."

"Alright hon. Love you."

"You too." She pecked him on the corner of his lips then hurried inside. Tori smiled at the sight and closed her eyes, relishing in the warmth that came from the scene. It could happen for her someday, but she didn't want to rush it.

Yet, she could see herself living this life, and even living out on the farm. She wanted to help her sister and soon to be brother-in-law with work on the farm, and maybe even fall in love on the farm one day.

There were so many things that could be done, but only as a human. "I can't give up now," she whispered to herself, "I want to be human again."

"Okay." Trina set her down and moved to the pantry. "You pups are probably hungry, so let's get your food." Tori hurried over to the food dish, there were five lined up. Shadow's was full, Ares's was half eaten, and hers was nearing empty. Beck's and Jade's were empty.

"I think the poodle mind is beginning to take over," Jade joked. Tori looked over with a frown and huffed at the girl.

"I'm just happy, that's all." She had a point though, Tori was feeling the canine impulse growing stronger each day. They had to feel it too, a probable sign that their time was nearing an end. "So did your adventure off the farm come up with anything useful? Find out how to change back?"

"Unfortunately not," Beck replied. "If we could have, we would. Probably would tell Trina the situation too."

"I'm not sure she'd believe it." She was also not sure if it would be a good idea either, since she didn't want her sister worrying too much. "Plus it's Trina, you really think she's going to think much of you guys saying that her sister's a dog?"

"That would be implying people haven't said that of you before." Tori gasped and shot a glare at Jade's smirk. She flashed her tongue and wagged her eyebrows.

"Careful Jade, you're a bitch too at the moment."

"Very funny, Tori." Jade narrowed her eyes and threw her head to the right with a violent huff. It was fun being able to use that term on Jade and not get her head ripped off for it.

She looked to the side and saw Shadow sitting by the front door, watching the trio with a smile. She rose up onto all fours and turned to him, cocking her head to the right. Something was different about him, it was almost as though he were glowing. Tori smiled back at him and then looked up to her sister.

"You know something guys? I think we'll be okay. We'll find a way to be human again, we just have to be patient." Jade and Beck nodded firmly and Tori curved her lip into a smirk. "At least no one has to get trapped in Trina's room again, right Beck?"

"Oh god." Beck fell to his stomach and covered his snout with his paws. It had been a few days ago when he ended up going into Trina's room looking around for Tori and Jade when they were out in the farm at night. Trina and Jason went in, closed the door, and Beck could not get out for the next hour. "Why do you have to remind me?"

"The only way I can relax to the fact that one of my friends watched my sister doing something so, you know, intimate."

"I didn't watch. I tried to hide under the bed. Didn't…work." Beck's nose twitched and he glanced at Jade. "If it wasn't for the fact that I'm in love with Jade, I'd have to admit your sister's attractive."

"It's not a big deal if you find her attractive," Jade snorted, "Just don't go flirting around with other girls and actively trying to get them to swoon over you."

"Right."

Their momentary bliss was cut off by a dreadful howl. Tori's head snapped back and her eyebrows meshed together. "That's Ares! Something's wrong!" Tori barked frantically and ran off in the direction of the howl. Beck and Jade hurried after her, then Trina ran after them.

When they reached Ares, he was in Clarence's room with his front paws up on the bed. Tori's heart stopped when she listened to her grandfather's painful cough and saw his pale skin. "Grandpa!" Trina ran beside Clarence and moved her hand to his forehead, her face turning with distress.

The man opened his eyes and let out a soft groan. "Trina dear? I do not feel well. Could you hand me my pipe?"

"No." Tori hopped up onto the bed and moved beside her grandfather, curling up against him. Clarence smiled at her and slowly wrapped his arm around the dog. She looked up to see Jason hurrying into the room, his eyes wide and his lips dipped into a frown. "Jason, call the hospital. Now!" Trina hugged Clarence as Jason hurried out to grab the phone. Tears welled up in the girl's eyes as she continued to examine her grandfather.

"I've been so tired lately, dear…My body aches."

"It'll be okay, Grandpa. Jason's calling the hospital, you'll be fine." Tori whined as her heart began to race. She couldn't stand the painful feeling in her gut. Her eyes met Ares and a wrinkle formed between her brow as she studied the strong dog's concerned expression.

"Ares? Did you find Shadow yet? I thought I saw him in the kitchen, but one moment he was there and the next he's gone." Her breath caught in her throat and she looked to her grandfather with tears welling up in her eyes. "Do you think Grandpa will be okay?"

"Haven't found Shadow yet," Ares remarked, "I've got the farm animals looking for him. Just stay calm pup, I'm sure we'll find him. As for Clarence, I don't know." Truth be told, it looked almost like the symptoms of cancer were starting to set in. If that was the case, she could only pray it didn't spread.

That's not good.