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

Revenge of the Wolf

Chapter 20 – Hungry like the wolf.

Jade's POV

It was comforting to have Tori with me in bed, but my I was no less troubled. In fact my nightmares seemed to be even more vivid and intense. It was the same fight, only I butchered Tori much in the way Margo was butchered. It's as if here being there and me, seeing what I've done only deepened my guilt.

Startled awake by my screaming, Tori licked me a few times as if to comfort me.

A little later, I was awoken to her violently twitching her sleep and making whining noises.

She was having the same nightmare. When she awoke, looking very frightened, I comforted her by gently stroking her fur. That was something that always relaxed her.

Alone with Tori, I found myself crying again. "I'll make this right. I will."

We slept in and around 10 am, I was awoken to the sound of someone at the front door. I threw on a robe and when I opened the door, no one was there.

What was there was a 2 large dog bowls, a large collar with leash, a huge bag of dog food, a supply of those bags you put dog poop in and a rather nasty note from Jadelyn

"Dipshit,

At Victoria's urging, I got you some stuff you may need for Tori. Please remember we have leash laws and if they find her without one, they will throw her in the pound, or at least try, which will result in a bunch more deaths that will be on your conscious. We wouldn't want that would we? Keep that dog out of our room and if I find so much as one dog hair on mine and Victoria's bed, I'll take my silver scissors and do you both. Included with the dogfood is a brochure on spaying and neutering your pet, I found at the pet store. Thought you'd might like to read it.

Have a nice day.

Jadelyn"

The next sound I made was a roar of anger and frustration. "SHE IS NOT A DOG! AND I AM NOT GOING TO HAVE TORI SPAYED! When this is done, I'm going to rip her fucking head off."

Tori who came up behind me, sat up and gave me a puzzled look.

"Do you believe the nerve of that Goth! Calling you a dog and giving me a brouchure on getting pet's spayed and dog food. That's just insulting. How about I make you some nice pancakes."

Of course, Tori made a beeline for the bag of dogfood and started to nudge it.

"She wants the damn dogfood! I'm really starting to hate Jadelyn West."

Quickly I pleaded with Tori. "No you don't want that, it's icky. Let me make you a nice steak!"

"Bark!" Was Tori's reply, as she again nudged the dog food.

"Fuck!"

I wonder if Tori's doing this on purpose just to torture me. If she is, then the plan is working. Just seeing her eat dogfood out of silver bowl makes me feel even shittier than a I already did.

Once she was done eating, Tori went to the door and began to scratch it.

Rolling my eyes, I pounded my head against the wall. "Oh goody, not she has to take a shit! I'm going to hell, not to mention, never having sex again!"

Once that nasty business was done, I put the leash on and took Tori to the dog groomers. There used to getting poodles and maybe an ocassional Siberian husky. You should have seen their faces when I walk in with a huge brown wolf; one with razor sharp teeth to boot.

The whole lot of them nearly fainted.

I managed to persuade them with an extra tip and a promise I would not leave them alone with the beast.

So they proceeded and thankfully something went right: Tori didn't object the bath. In fact she rather seemed to like it.

Once she was done and looking her beautiful self, I too her home.

It was then I started the task I need to start, to bring Tori back. So I sat down with her and started to talk and I talked and a I talked. For hours I told her everything I could think of about her. I even told her about our children, but nothing.

I simply couldn't crack the wall in her mind. I laughed, I cried and I yelled, but nothing worked. She would just patiently and lovingly look at me. She knew I was her mate and that was the extent of it.

I talked until I had to leave for work. Fortunately she didn't seem to mind being left alone. That night she jogged with me and I left her alone again, so I could work out.

She seems to know that I will come back.

Over the next few days, the same cycle repeated. During the day, I would work with her, to try and get her to remember something. I even showed her pictures of Jadelyn with Victoria, hoping it would jar something in her mind. She seemed to not even understand the concept of a picture. But nothing worked, nothing at all.

The most frustrating thing was that occasionally I'd see bits of Tori. One day, I had taken a break from working with her to watch TV. I even put on one of her favorite shows and she seemed to enjoy it. While flipping channels, I saw the Scissoring was about to start on the Horror channel.

As soon as the opening music started, Tori got right off the couch and ran into the bedroom. She wouldn't come out until I had turned the channel. She remembered the music and remembered she hated it. There were just little things. They were also few and far between.

Other than that, I was making no progress at all. I was getting progressively frustrated, stressed out and angry. I don't know how long I can take this. It's hard enough to do something like this when you're of a good state of mind. I'm not in a good state of mind, not by a longshot.

That fifth day I had just gotten home from work when there was a knock at the door.

Opening it, could see it was Julia.

"Is it safe to come in?"

I stepped aside, with a weary expression. "It's safe. She knows me now."

"I have news." Julia said as she stepped inside.

"What?'

"First of all where's Tori?"

"Tori!" I called out. A moment later Tori came running out of the bedroom and playfully greeted Juila.

"Still a wolf, Huh."

"Yes."

"By your expression I take you're not having much luck."

"NO!" I said, letting some of my frustration leak out. "I see bits of her from time to time and she knows I'm her mate, but it's like there's this wall in her head. I can't crack it. I've been trying solidly for the last 5 days. "

Julia knelt down and let Tori sniff her. For a moment, there looked to spark of recognition but it quickly faded.

After petting Tori for a moment, Julia got back up. "I'm sorry. But I have good news."

"What?"

"Claudia cast the Molis spell a few nights ago, that ritual I told you about. The spirit she summoned found no trace of Tori's life force anywhere on the planet. You and Tori in Claudia's mind, are both officially dead. She thinks she's won."

I couldn't help but breath a sigh of relief. "Just how did you find this out?"

"It's difficult to explain, but essentially, it's the magical equivalent of a wiretap. Not many people know how to do it, plus it's frowned on by the council. But I know how. The day after she determined Tori to be dead, I noticed the people Claudia had following me, had disappeared. I think she's still keeping an eye on me, but not very closely anymore. Openly, I've shown no interest in perusing the matter any further. Oh and Beck reports the children are fine. He's been stopping in a few times a week. Fiona and the twins are being, well cared for."

"At least something is going right." I ranted bitterly, letting more of my ever building frustration rise to the surface.

"Calm down everything will be ok."

"NO IT WON'T!" I exploded. "I've been working for 5 days and I haven't made one bit of progress. Even better, my nightmares are getting worse. I don't even want to sleep anymore, I'm frustrated, I'm tired, I want my Tori back and all I have to show for it, is a stupid fucking dog!"

No one's POV

After Jade's tirade, Julia watched in horror as Jade took a lamp and threw it against a wall, where it shattered.

"Calm down Jade, please."

At first, Julia thought that this would be just the thing they needed, but seeing Jade blow up, Julia began to have serious doubts. It was looking more and more that Jade wasn't emotionally equipped to handle this. Her soul and her mind we both deeply wounded by her ordeal and it had left unable to properly cope with the burden.

"I don't want to calm down, I want Tori back, so I can try to start and fix things, maybe get a single nights sleep where I don't have multiple nightmares, have one single moment of a day where I feel like an utter shit for screwing up so fucking badly."

"Jade, things will be ok. I promise you. Please calm down. Blowing up at me or Tori or anyone else, won't help. I need to go but, just calm down. Promise me."

It took several minutes, but Julia managed to calm Jade down. However the wizard knew this would only be temporary. She promised to return in a few days and left.

But instead of opening the portal back to her universe, she called a cab.

A short while later at the Vega home, Jadelyn and Victoria where sitting in Tori's old room, watching TV, when they heard the doorbell.

Running down, Victoria was surprised to find it as Julia the wizard.

"Hello Victoria, may I come in?"

"Sure?"

As Julia walked in she could see an unhappy looking Jadelyn come down the stairs. "Please tell me I can go back to my apartment."

"That's what I came to talk to you about."

"What?" Asked Tori. "We were nice enough to give Jade some space, but we've been out of our apartment for 5 days. I told my father they'd have the repairs done in a few days. He's making noise about calling the landlord. "

Julia nodded. "Jade has been trying to get Tori to change back. All she's been able to do is to get Tori to recognize her. But that's it. She's made little if any progress. But due to her own emotional problems, has been getting progressively frustrated. I'm afraid she's not equipped to handle this much longer. She smashed a lamp out of frustration. I will reimburse you for that. But you see my problem. I'm afraid Jade my snap and do something that she can't undo."

Jadelyn quickly cursed, while Victoria looked dismayed.

"What can we do?" Asked Victoria.

"I have an idea. It's very risky but it just might work. Bring Tori out before something real bad can happen."

Jadelyn stepped forward. "If it gets me into my apartment and closer to getting rid of our houseguest, then sign me up.

Tori however, didn't look so convinced. "Might I remind you that, Tori is a werewolf and could easily kill us in seconds."

"I know and I've planned for it. If my plan works it shouldn't take long and I can protect you with a spell, that will last a short time. I wouldn't ask you if I didn't think this was necessary."

Jadelyn quickly pulled Tori aside and for a minute they talked. When they finished, Tori nodded, but just slightly. "OK. What is your plan?"

"I took you away cause I thought it would confuse Tori. Well, maybe that's just what we need to do."

A short time, later Jade was at home watching TV, when her phone rang. Victoria had provided her with one, when she first woke up. But this was the first time it actually rang.

"Yes." Said the impatient Goth.

"Jade, it's Julia. I'm sorry to do this but I think some drastic action is needed. In about 5 seconds your door is going to open, I've protected them, but I still need you to keep Tori from doing anything she'd regret. I'm sorry."

Jade barely had time to react, when the front door swung open and in ran Victoria.

"Oh Jade, I missed you so much. I've been looking for you. I thought I'd killed you. That horrible Claudia made me fight you, my beautiful werewolf mate." Tori cried, as she wrapped her arms around a none too pleased looking Jade.

If there was someone who looked even less pleased than Jade, it was Tori.

The wolf had been sitting on the other end of the couch and upon seeing Victoria wrap her arms around Jade, sat up immediately and began to growl.

In addition to not liking someone touching her mate, Tori felt very strange about it. The sight looked familiar, but at the same time it seemed wrong.

"What on earth are you doing!" Hissed Jade. "Do you want to get fucking killed! Plus you're massively overacting."

"Jade it's for you own good, just play along." Whispered Victoria as she began to kiss Jade.

It was a crazy and risky plan but Julia was more afraid of Jade doing something in frustration that may set them back or even worse.

Jade hated the idea, in fact she despised it, but knew it was far too late to stop it. So after making a mental note to kill them all later, Jade begrudgingly went along with it.

One eye on her angry and somewhat puzzled looking mate and one eye on Tori, Jade began to kiss Victoria.

Oddly enough she found the kiss to be different then her Tori. "I'm so sorry I hurt you. I screwed up Tori. I did. I was too blinded by Margo's bullshit to see what was in front of me."

"I'm sorry I had to drop that building on you, I just had too. To protect Fiona and the twins. our beautiful babies."

A few feet away, Tori watched with increasing anger at the scene. That think touching her mate, looked familiar, though and Tori just couldn't place where she'd seen it.

That aside, Tori still didn't want another near her mate. Charging across the couch she went to bite the other's leg, only to find something blocking her from doing it.

For another minute the scene played out, with Victoria and Jade pretending to have a reunion and tearfully apologizing to each other. Tori kept trying to attack the other thing, but each time she went to bite and scratch something stopped her. She simply couldn't bit through what ever was around this other.

In her frustration Tori also kept trying to remember where she'd seen that other before. It bothered her more and more. The angrier she got, the more confused she got, the more confused she got the angrier she got.

It was then Jade started to push her away.

Backing off, Tori began to bark furiously. It was then a third figure entered the room. This one looked just like her mate, only it wasn't her mate. That only seemed to confuse the wolf even more.

"Tori why are you letting her touch your mate!" Shouted Jadelyn at Tori.

"She's you're mate not hers. But you can't say it can't you….can't you….You need to say it Tori. You need to say it. SAY IT! SAY IT! SAY IT!"

Tori became more and more confused as these faces, words and memories sank into her mind.

Deep within Tori's mind the memories in those locked doors started to awaken and struggle to break free.

Jadelyn kept shouting "Say it Tori," While Jade and Victoria played their parts.

The dog kept barking louder and louder and soon it's head began to hurt.

The plan was working, only there was one problem. The protection spell on both Jadelyn and Victoria would only last a few more seconds. But Jadelyn kept pressing, finally shouting at the wolf.

"SAY IT TORI! TELL JADE I'M YOUR MATE, SAY IT!"

It was that last sentence that finally caused the memories to break through and rise to the surface. Finally the wolf howled in pain and abruptly began to change.

Everyone in the room, stopped as wolf Tori suddenly began to change and moments later a very naked human Tori was in her place. Feeling a collar around her neck, Tori grabbed it and with her strength ripped it off.

"MY MATE!" Shouted Tori, with a wild look on her face as she charged Victoria and shoved her way from Jade.

But the happy reunion was disrupted, when Tori suddenly backed off and retreated into a corner. On the table nearby there was a pair of scissors, which Tori quickly grabbed and pointed at Jade.

"DEAD!"

Half stunned from the change, Jade started to approach Tori. "Please baby. It's ok. I'm ok. Calm down."

It was Tori, but her voice was shaky and she looked terrified. "No, it's a trick. Claudia trick me! You dead"

Victoria stepped forward. "Jade, she doesn't trust you. Allow me."

Approaching slowly, Victoria held out her hands to show she as carrying nothing. "Tori, this is Victoria, we've met. Your mother was very nice to me when we met. Do you remember me?"

Tori studied her for a moment and nodded. "Yes."

"I know you're scared and confused. You're safe. Claudia is not here. Jade is not dead. Nor is she under anyone's control. Calm down."

Julia who was just outside, walked in and smiled. "Tori. It's me Julia. You're ok now."

Tori looked to Jade and then to Victoria with a grief-stricken look. "Can't be…I killed Jade!"

"No you didn't" Continued Julia. "Jade at the last second, fell into a trench. One of those kinds you find in garages where people can work on cars. She was shielded from the biggest blocks of concrete. She was badly hurt, almost dead, but she's ok now. You didn't kill your mate."

Seeing Tori for the first time, quickly brought Jade to tears. "Please Tori. Believe them. You didn't kill me."

"You don't look hurt. I hurt you?"

Jadelyn stepped forward and pulled out her phone. She then held it up for Tori to see. "Tori, this is Jadelyn. Look at the picture, when Jade arrived that's what she looked like. She got better. She's been here nearly 5 weeks. She got better."

Tori cautiously picked up the phone and looked at the photo of the bloody heap that was Jade.

She then put the phone down and then on all fours walked over to Jade and began to sniff her. No one dared move, not even Jade.

"Margo?" Said Tori as she continued to smell Jade.

"Dead." Answered Jadelyn. "What's the last thing you remember?"

"Killing my mate. I don't remember anything after that. Just being here."

Jadelyn picked up her phone and walked over to Tori, but slowly.. "After you defeated Jade. Claudia ordered Margo to kill you. She then left. You were hurt and Margo probably would have killed you. But Beck was there. He had come to try and warn you about Margo, but arrived too late. He threw a rock that blinded and distracted Margo. You then killed her, actually ate her…."

Jadelyn was stopped by Victoria poking her in the side. "Shut up about that!"

Jadelyn continued. "After Margo's death, Valentina and Julia brought Jade here to Victoria's and mine's universe to recover in safety.

and fled. We're not lying. Valentina and Julia brought her here to recover. You're smelling her, is she your mate."

Slowly standing up, Tori studied Jade's face. Noticing her tears, Tori touched one of them.

"Jade!" She wailed, as she dropped the scissors and put her arms around her beloved mate.

Back together, Jade and Tori tearfully embraced, for the moment, only caring that they had found each other again.

The others, knowing their work was done, quickly departed. They did so, to give Jade and Tori, their time alone and also to avoid Jade's wrath, for pulling this stunt in the first place.

Tori and Jade, not noticing the others had left, just held on and cried.

So Julia took a risk which paid off. Tori is back to her human self, but for them, the recovery is just beginning.

The chapter title, Hungry like the wolf, is from the Duran Duran song of the same name.