Disclaimer: The show Victorious, its characters and other associated copyrights are property of someone else and not me.

Revenge of the Wolf

Chapter 5 – Tryin' To Live My Life Without you.

Authors Note: Look for an "Old Friend" to pop up in this chapter. I think you'll be pleased.

Jade's POV

Time about 3 weeks ago.

Once we arrived at home, we made hasty plans for departure to Prague, in the Czech Republic. There were werewolves in the state department and due to the fact that I was their queen, I quickly made some phone calls and got the process going to get passports and the necessary documents. I was told that it would have everything in 2 days. So then I made flight arrangements for 2 days following.

But that was the easy part. The next morning I had to explain it to everyone; Having to explain this abrupt trip to my parents, Tori's parents and Fiona. The twins were too young to understand, but Fiona's reaction was more than enough to upset the both of us. After she got up we took her downstairs and told her we had something to tell her.

"Mama's, what do you have to tell me." Said Fiona, who was still in her Disney princess PJ's and clutching her bear.

"Fiona." I said in a calm voice. "Mama Tori and I have to go away for a few days."

Fiona blinked twice and looked at us with confusion. "Away?"

"Yes, Dear. Mama Jade and I have to go on a little trip." Replied Tori, in a sad tone.

Fiona frowned and with heartbreaking, puppy dog eyes said. "Can I go?"

Kneeling down, Tori put her hands on Fiona's shoulders. "No, little pup. You can't. We need you to watch over your sisters. They're babies and can't even turn into wolves yet. They need the future queen to protect them."

Fiona started to cry almost instantly, a sight which made me feel like utter shit. Tori quickly shot me a nasty glare and wrapped her arms around our daughter. She's going along with it, but it's becoming clear that she's not happy with the situation or me. But I was the queen and I knew this was the right course. They would all understand.

"It's Ok, little pup. It's just for a few days. There might be danger and we want you to be safe. If you're good, we'll bring you and your sister back some nice presents. How about a nice dress."

"I don't wanna nice dress, I want to go with mommies." Wailed Fiona, making me feel even worse.

It took several minutes more to calm her down and convince her that staying behind was good. Tori did most of the talking, she was better at that sort of thing. One thing that helped is that she and her sisters would be staying at grandma and grandpa Vega's house and she'd be going to Disneyland.

After that, I spoke to My parents, Tori's parents and told them that we needed to travel to Prague, to follow a lead on the person who kidnapped me. I left it at that, saying the less they knew the better. None of them liked the idea, but I was hell bent and wisely they avoided trying to change my mind. The official story, if anyone asked was that we were going out of town to a bed and Breakfast for a romantic weekend. I even went so far as to make reservations at one up the coast.

The only other person I told was Julia, our wizard friend and ambassador of the Wizard community to the werewolf community.

"Jade" She said during our phone conversation, "I don't feel right letting you two run off like that. Please allow me to help you."

"Look, you can't tell anyone, I mean that, if X or whomever is in charge, gets wind of this, things could turn ugly."

"NO, I realize that. I can join you. Provide some back up. I have a valid passport and can meet you out there, in a few days. I have to teach a series of seminars on illusions to some young wizards over the next three days and if I cancel it, people will wonder why. That may raise suspicions, But once that is done, I can join you."

"Fine. We've decided to play this low key, so we're staying at the Hilton, near old town. Nothing super fancy, just a normal hotel. The people who got me the documents, even got us passports with fake names at my request. Our cover is, that were two college students on holiday. I'll text you the cover names and details."

"OK, just relax and don't get too hasty. Wait until I arrive before you do something rash."

"I will, just don't say a word."

"I won't. Someone in the wizard community is not what they appear to be and I have no idea who it is. Believe me, I want to know who the rat is, almost as much as you. Jade, don't worry, you can trust me."

"Thanks. See you there."

"Oh Jade….One last thing?"

"What?"

"I'm going to have something sent over tomorrow. Something that will help you blend in. "

"How."

"It will be two small stones, each with a enchantment. I'll do them tonight. You have it on your possession and you'll be able to understand the Czech language and speak it without an accent. The enchantment will only last about a week, but that should be enough. "

"That's great, thanks." I said as I hung up the phone.

The rest of the day we spent packing making hasty arrangements. After some thought, we decided to let our werewolf friend Claire know. She's engaged to Beck and much to our surprise, she told us he was currently filming a movie very near Prague. An actor got hurt and couldn't do a part so Beck was a last minute replacement. We told her, we'd look him up, but would not involve him in anything we did. She'd never forgive us if I got him killed.

The next day our documents arrived and we made the final preparations to the airport. It was a hectic morning, which followed two equally hectic days. We had to get us ready, get our children ready, calm Fiona who was still upset and make it to the airport on time. None of this was made easier by the fact that where was some tension between Tori and I. We didn't fight, but she was rather cool to me and openly irritated, when Fiona was upset. But with the hasty nature of all the preparations to take our trip, we barely had time to talk about it.

She's my mate, she can sense my moods and during intimacy, can read my mind. She knows that I manipulated her, guilted her into doing it. She hasn't said it outright, but she knows. I can feel it in her. Yet she's going along with it. At the time, I was too focused on this quest to really feel bad about it.

So we dropped Fiona and the twins off at Tori's parents' house, said our tearful goodbyes and drove to the airport. We made our plane and boarded. Soon as we were in the air, Tori pulled out a romance novel and started to read it. I don't think she said more than 20 words to me the entire flight. She'd occasionally, weakly smile at me, but the closer we got to Prague, the more the tension seemed to rise.

We arrived in Prague, got to our hotel, checked in , but were too jet lagged to do anything, so we spent the better part of a day, sleeping and trying to adjust to the time. But the stones we had worked perfectly, I have it in my pocket and I'm talking like a local. Tori was still being rather quiet and was increasingly business like and not very affectionate.

So after spending a day adjusting, we set out one rainy morning to find that elusive blue door. The one that the photographer had taken a photo of the mysterious Blondie in front of. She was the head of the kidnappers and the only link to whoever put her up to this. Even if I only got her name, that could lead me to the big bad guy, in charge of this all.

But by now, the tension between us was not very evident and even with my one track mind, couldn't ignore it.

On the way down in the elevator, I looked at her and said.

"Do you hate me for this? We need to do this." That last part I think was more to convince myself than Tori.

Tori paused for a moment and her face hardened as she appeared to think of an answer.

"I won't abandon you…..if that's what you're afraid of. I'm your mate, I love you and I'd sooner die, than break the bond between us. Not to mention you are my queen and as werewolf, I am bound to follow you. But that said. When this is done. You and I are going to have a long talk. About a lot of things. More than once you've made me feel like I was mere possession or simply the royal fuck toy. You know that in all the time you've been queen, you've never once consulted me on a problem you've had. You always make the decisions yourself and even the non-royal decisions, you make arbitrarily sometimes. You think about that. Think long and hard about that and just what am I to you. I don't like being taken for granted."

I was floored by her rather blunt reply, but before I could answer, the elevator doors opened and she gestured to the lobby. "I don't want to talk anymore…..let's find that fucking door."

We hit the street about 6:30 in the morning on a misty, cold overcast Saturday morning. Nothing was said, we just walked silently through the section of the city, known as old town. At the time, I knew she was upset about this and a lot of other things, but was confident, things would be alright.

After 2 hours of walking, up and down the narrow and winding streets, we were both starting to get a bit tired, when I turned a corner there it was.

The blue door with the carving of a dragon on it.

Time: The present.

I had fallen asleep and once again awoke, to find myself in pain and in a body cast. I'm healing but not fast enough. But thinking about what Tori said in the elevator, how I had taken her for granted, more than once, tears me all to pieces. How can I come back from this?

This ultimate defeat. One brought on by my own stupidity. Both my heart and body are broken and I just don't know what to do.

Again I start to cry as it's the only thing I can do. Wail for Tori, beg her forgivness….tell her how much I need her. How much I love her.

But as always, I look to see my own face looking back at me.

But this time, it's slightly different.

I study my doppleganger who's sitting on a chair next to the bed and notice, not only is she appears several years older than Jadelyn but has shorter hair and no eyebrow piercing. She notices I'm awake and tilts her head with a puzzled expression as she seems to carefully study me.

"You're not Jadelyn."

Shaking her head, my double say. "No, I'm not."

"Wait, you're the other Jade. The one that Jadelyn switched places with when the whole multiple universe things started. You were at my house."

"Sorry, Wrong Jade. I'm told that one is on vacation in Mexico with her Tori, in her own universe. "

"Then who are you?"

"Well, normally I'd say I was Jade, but that would just confuse things. Jadelyn and Victoria told me, I'm from world 77, so call me….lets say… seven."

"Well, you're a bit nicer than Jadelyn, my predicament, doesn't seem to amuse you quite as much a her. What are you doing here?"

"Babysitting. It's still a bit confusing, especially when one day your double and a double of your wife shows up at your door and recruits you to babysit a broken werewolf, who's also a double. Jadelyn and Victoria are having a night alone. They haven't had one to themselves since this started, so a babysitter was needed. "

"Wife?"

Seven smiled and held up her right hand to reveal a huge diamond ring. "Married my Tori, 5 years ago. But in all honestly I do find your situation rather amusing, but don't feel the need to rub your face in it. You fucked up big time. Starting with, not treating your Tori with respect."

"I KNOW THAT!" I roared in frustration which caused my whole body to ache. "What do you know. The last thing I need another version of me mocking my pain, mocking how royally fucked up everything in sight." By now, I had started to cry. "Now everyone thinks I'm dead, my little girl thinks I'm dead. My Tori is missing and probably hates my guts. I'm shattered and helpless…..and I don't need your crap!"

Seven sighed, leaned back on her chair and folded her arms. "What do I know….."

"You don't know shit!"

"I know more than you think. A lot of what you've been through, I've been there myself."

"You know how I feel." I scoffed bitterly.

Seven nodded as a serious look came to her face. "I think, that's why Jadelyn and Victoria chose me. You see, when I was at Hollywood arts, some years ago, I was with Tori and deeply in love. Only my father got involved with some shady characters. Next think I know, federal agents show up at my house and tell me my father is going into witness protection. I never even got to say goodbye, to Tori. The next think I know, I'm living under a different name in northern Minnesota. I was in the middle of fucking nowhere and I couldn't contact her. I thought that Tori hated me for abandoning her."

I listened carefully as she told her story.

"Isolated and alone I went a bit nuts. I didn't deal with the pain, so I lost myself and literally became someone else. My new identity, made up a whole background for her and became her. When I graduated, I ran away from that shit town and joined the army. I became an MP and after three years of that, was dishcharged, and joined the NYPD."

"You're a cop?"

"Was a cop. Now I play hard as nails prosecutor, Emma Songraves on Law and Order, Los Angeles. I even have an Emmy. But back to my story. I know what it's like to be separated from your Tori. I know that pain, intimately. But I found her. It was as if the universe pushed us back together. Like it was meant to be. But was afraid to approach her. I thought she still hated me. It's a long story, but shortly after I found her, she was kidnapped by some drug dealers. I saved her and we've been together ever since. "

"Good for you." I shot back cynically.

"If you're meant to be with her, you will find her."

"How can I find anything? My body is shattered. I'm lying her, helpless, barely able to move. I can't come back from this." I said with a mixture of anger and self-pity."

Without a word, Seven stood up, removed her t-shirt and dropped her blue jeans. Physically she looked exactly like me, with 3 exceptions. One was what appeared to be an old bullet wound on her left shoulder, the second was a huge surgery scar that ran down her chest, between her breasts and the third was yet another old bullet wound in her right leg.

Seven pointed to her shoulder first. "I was saving Tori, when some Walter White wannabe, shot me, 3 times. The first one hit my shoulder and missed a major artery by less than an inch."

She then pointed to the large scar. "This was the money shot. The bullet, broke a rib on the way in, broke up and a piece of it went through my right lung and out my back. Within moments, I was drowning in my own blood. That may sound cool, but when it's happening to you, the novelty quickly wears off.

Seven then pointed to her leg. "The third bullet broke up in my leg and to this day, my leg aches when it rains. I was in surgery for 8 hours, I died on the table for 26 seconds and was in intensive care for days and in the hospital itself for weeks. After that I had months of recovery and physical therapy."

Seven put her clothes back on and then leaned over me. "I died Jade….died for 26 seconds. I came back better than ever and so can you. I'm up around, now a big success and so is my Tori. She just signed a record contract. "

She had suffered, not in the same way, but she had suffered. Still it felt like little consolation.

"I don't know what to do." I lamented.

"Jade, as I said, I lost myself. The pain became so great that I became someone else, to hide from it. That in itself kept me away from my Tori for years. You're in pain, lots of pain. But you can't hide from it. You need to face it. But more than face it, you also need to not lose yourself. "

"What?"

"I'm told you used to run. It was something you enjoyed. I run too, a holdover from my army days. It's something you liked, so do it again when you get out of here. You became a werewolf and then a queen. Maybe along the way, you lost some of yourself. I think Elvis died, because he lost himself and became a prisoner of this image he projected. Do you act anymore? Do you do, what you love to do? What makes you, you? I know this sounds like psychological mumbo jumbo, but think of it. Yeah, you're busted up, but not for long. You'll be on your feet, but you need to focus on getting better. Like I did. Make it your goal to take a step, then another. Really focus. "

"How about focusing on strangling Jadelyn for being such an ass."

Seven chuckled. "Whatever works. But don't think you're the only person who's been through this sort of thing. I remember looking down at my chest and seeing the blood spreading out on my shirt and thinking how fast it actually flows. Such an odd thought, for someone who knew they were dying."

"But Tori."

"You find her. You make things right. Do what you need to do. She's the Yin to your Yang. You're meant for each other, but you need to work at it. Look, I know you're not buying all of this. You're still mentally just as shattered, as you are physically. You see simply the act of holding Tori as impossible. Even if you don't believe me, just remember what I told you."

She was right, I didn't totally believe her, but she did give me something to think about.

"Jade, I hear that when they found you, they didn't find your favorite pair of scissors. That I was lost in all the rubble the found you under."

I nodded sadly.

Seven, pulled out a pair identical to mine, only then were stained with crimson and pressed them in my hand.

"These were mine. My Tori held on to them and once upon a time I stabbed one of my Tori's kidnappers with them. I think you need these more than me. I have what I need now."

Looking down at the scissors, I started to cry. It was a big gesture of her and I felt like a small piece of me had been restored. "Thank you."

"You're welcome and just remember one thing. If you need to use these on someone or something, Don't forget to push them in real hard, for maximum damage, Very Important. I can't stress how important that is. I didn't press hard enough and wound up nearly bleeding to death. But even more important is to remember to treasure every last second you spend with that annoying Latina, because she is the very best thing, that's ever happened to you. It's a lesson I learned the hard way."

All I could do is nod.

"Tell me Jade. The name for the fake passport of yours. Did you pick that name?"

"Yes, why? It sort of just came to me."

"It's odd, the name you just happened to have picked as your cover identity, Karen Miller. That happened to be my name when I was in witness protection and the name I lived under for a number of years. It's very strange."

I couldn't help but agree.

Seven and I talked for a while longer until I drifted back to sleep and I found myself comforted by their happy lives together. I was still deeply depressed and full of grief, but now for the first time, I feel like there's hope, at least a faint glimmer of one.

If you've haven't guessed Seven is actually Jade from my previous story. "The Yin and the Yang." Remember were dealing with different universes and Jadelyn can travel between them, thanks to Robbie's invention. Seven/Jade gave some much needed advice to werewolf Jade and hopefully it will help her begin to recover.

I hoped you enjoyed a visit with an old friend and there is the distinct possibility that other "old friends" will make appearances. Did you like me crossing stories like that?

The chapter title refers to the song "Tryin' To Live My Life Without you." As Performed by Bob Seger and Silver Bullet band off the album, Nine Tonight. It's a great song.