Disclaimer: The show Victorious, its character and other associated copyrights are property of someone else and not me.
Revenge of the wolf.
Chapter 32 – Wouldn't it be nice.
No One's POV
Jade was done, finally done. She had set out and accomplished all she set out to do and more. But standing on the front porch of the mansion, she felt no sense of victory, no great relief, just fatigue, pain and a deep longing to go home.
Just then Julia came out. "Hey Jade."
"What? Don't you have wizard council business?"
"Yes, my first duty is to see that all of you get home. Ozhan is having a limo brought around for you."
Una who had been standing off to the side, stepped in. "Speaking of home, could you be doll and whip up one of those nice portals to my universe. While I fed, Dawn hasn't and unless I get her to some nice animal blood, bad things may start to happen."
"Sure. I just need something, any object from your universe to unlock the boundaries between them."
Dawn handed Julia a dollar bill and the wizard started to cast the spell.
As she did that, Una turned to Jade and extended her hand. "Thanks for a saving my Dawn and giving opportunity to kill people. Always fun. I still don't like you, but you're semi ok."
Jade scowled back. "I'll take it. You're welcome and thank you for helping me."
Turning to Dawn, Jade shook her hand and smiled. "Una's in good hands. My thanks to you for your help. Best of luck in your journey together."
Tori quickly said her goodbye's, hugging each one and profusely thanking them as well.
By then the portal had been opened and just before Una stepped through she said. "I'll live a long time and in the years to come, long after you're dead. I'll tell the story of how the evil wizard Claudia was destroyed. Maybe if I'm feeling generous, I'll even give you some of the credit. Later, Lycan scum."
"See ya you bloodsucking piece of filth." Said Jade with a smirk.
As they stepped through Una took Dawns and could be heard. "Come on baby, let's get you some blood and then we'll retire to our crypt for some rest and fun…."
Moments later a limo glided up and the three got in. Once the car was in motion, Jade used the limo's phone to make some quick calls. They were to the werewolves she knew in the German government; First to announce her return from the dead, second to see that the Castle and its contents were properly secured.
She also requested that arrangements be made to return Jenna home and see that Valentina got the proper medical treatment.
Once Jade was off the phone, Julia spoke up. "Now that you're back, there's a few things you need to know."
Jade who was pouring herself a drink form the bar, looked over. "What?"
"Tori, you had an album and a minor hit. But since your death, that album has since gone to number one and that hit is also number one. You're going to need an explanation of course to come back from the dead. But you a star now."
Tori who had totally forgotten about her singing career was absolutely floored. "I'm a star. Oh my god."
"Knew you would be baby." Smiled Jade. "We'll come up with some excuse for our rise from the dead."
"Tori, Jade, I know you want to go home, but there is one other matter you need to attend to."
Jade's smile abruptly vanished. "I want to go home. Can it wait?"
"I'd rather you take care of it now. It's for the best."
Jade huffed and pounded down her drink. "What is it?"
"Well, Beck kept the secret and kept watch on the girls. But Claire, his mate, sensed he was not telling her something. She's attuned to him. He naturally kept the secret and denied it, but the more he denied something was going on, the more suspicious she got.'
"What happened?" Replied Jade with a groan.
"She became convinced he had an affair with one of the actresses on his film. He denied it, but the more he denied it the more she was convinced. So she called off the wedding and kicked him out, over a month ago. He's moved back into his trailer. But to his credit, he didn't spill the beans."
Jade laughed cynically and poured herself another drink. "Serves the fucker right, he cheated on me."
"Jade!" Shot back Tori, instantly. "He helped me and us. We need to fix this, right now."
"Yeah, yeah, I know. Have the driver head to Becks."
20 minutes later, Jade walked up to the door of Beck's trailer and pounded on the door.
"Oliver, get the fuck out here. Now!"
A second later a surprised and happy looking Beck popped out of the trailer, where Tori quickly hugged him.
"Thanks for saving me."
"Tori , Jade. My god. You're both alive and you both smell horrible. What happened?"
Looking amused, Jade quipped. "We won…I hear your ass got booted out."
"Look, I didn't tell, even after she…."
Jade cut him off with a hug. "Shut up asshole. You saved my girl and I owe you. Come on, let's get this straightened out. Oh and by the way, I officially forgive you for cheating on me. You are now, officially off my shitlist. Don't think that means anything more than that, but you have been forgiven. I still think it's funny she booted you out when you didn't actually cheat, but I forgive you and give you my thanks."
Looking slightly confused, Beck nodded. "It was more than four years ago…but um…thanks."
Jade motioned to the limo. "Come on, let's go and get this mess straightened out."
Once in the Limo, Jade told the rest of the story up to Carlo's exposure earlier that day. Once done, Tori asked.
"So how did everyone take…our deaths."
"Pretty bad. Cat sobbed for a week. You half to stop and let her know you're alive."
"Do we have to?" grumbled Jade.
"If she finds out you were alive and didn't visit her right away, she'll…she'll get really mad at you. She's been putting flowers on your grave every week."
"Why in the hell should that bother me, I had a building dumped on me and I fought a demon lord."
"Jade!" Countered Tori.
"Fine, we'll see the dingbat, then can we go home.'
After thinking for a moment, Tori inquired. "Hey since, were dead, do Jade and I have graves?"
Beck nodded. "Yes. Westwood Willage Memorial Park Cemetary.
"What the fuck!" Bellowed Jade. "They seriously buried me and Tori in Westwood. I hate Westwood. Those assholes."
"First of all Jade, they didn't actually bury you, it's a memorial grave stone and don't complain, we got you right next to Jim Backus."
Jade's jaw dropped and about a second later the Goth exploded. "Are you telling me, they buried me, next to MR. MAGOO!?"
"First he was only the voice of Mr. Magoo, Secondly, he was also the Millionaire from Gilligan's Island." Said Tori, with a frown. "Calm down, It's only a gravestone. Not like you have to live there."
Grumbling to herself about the insult, Jade turned to the bar and poured herself another drink.
Though appearing annoyed with Jade, Tori took Jade's attitude to her burial place as a good sign, as it was, "Classic Jade."
A few minutes later, Claire was in her apartment watching TV. She'd been doing a lot of that since she had thrown beck out, having no desire to do anything else. She was very depressed.
She was about to change channels when her superior werewolf sense of smell, detected what could be considered a foul stench. It was faint at first, but soon got stronger as whatever it was, was approaching.
"Last time I smelled something that bad, I fought a demon." Thought Claire as in addition to the smell, she could hear steps coming up the stairs.
Her level of fear steadily rising, Claire transformed into a wolf and stood ready for whatever horror would burst through the door.
Step by step she could hear not one, but two separate things. Finally they reached the door and now Claire was ready to attack.
Knock, Knock.
Behind the door, Claire wasn't sure what was going on as the demons just knocked on the door.
"Demons don't knock…or maybe it's' one of those who do."
So Claire started to growl fiercely, hoping it would drive it away.
Knock, Knock
"Ok…why doesn't just break the door down?"
Her thoughts were interrupted by Jade's shout. "Claire, stop growling and open the fucking door!"
Stunned, Claire resumed human form and called out. "Jade, is that you?"
"No, it's the big bad wolf, open it or I'll huff and I'll huff and then I'll kick the fucking door in."
"Jade…please…be nice." Came a second voice that could only belong to Tori.
Claire's head was spinning. Jade and Tori were supposed to be dead, yet there they were. Chancing it, she opened the door and sure enough there they were. They looked like hell but there they were.
"What on earth?"
Jade walked past her into the apartment. "Yes, were alive, not dead. Irritated, tired, hungry and I smell like a shithole but yes, I'm alive."
"Why do you smell so terrible?" Was all that she could think of saying.
"Claire, I want to get home, so I'll cut to the chase. You kicked Beck out because you thought he was cheating on you, Yes?'"
Claire nodded.
Jade put a hand on her shoulder. "He cheated on me, but not you. The secret he had was that he knew we were alive. We had to fake our deaths for not only our protection but for the protection of our daughters. He was keeping an eye on things, until it was safe. Now it's safe. Not only that, your mate personally saved Tori's life, at great personal risk to himself."
Now, her head began to spin even faster. "He did?"
"Yes, It's a long story and but none the less, he threw a rock and blinded a piece of shit, traitor werewolf, long enough for Tori to kill it. He wanted to tell you but, simply could not as it would have put my children in danger. He was protecting them."
Hearing the truth sent Clair's emotions into a tailspin and almost instantly she started to cry. In the breakup she had screamed at him and for a moment, was tempted to turn into a wolf and shred him. Now she simply felt horrible.
"I kicked him out and broke off our engagement." Sobbed Claire.
"It's not like he never did that sort of thing and your suspicion was quite logical. So don't knock yourself too much. It was a natural reaction and don't let him guilt you out of all kind of things, because of it. "
"Where is he?" Whimpered Claire.
"Beck?" Called out Jade.
A second later, Beck appeared in the doorway and gave a boyish smile. "Hi babe."
Not waisting a second, Claire rushed and threw her arms around him. "I'm sorry baby. I've been a bad mate. Please forgive me. I'm so sorry. I'm going to make it all up to you and then some."
"It's alright babe."
With a roll of her eyes, Jade threw up her hands. "I told her not to knock herself too much…oh well."
Turning to leave, Jade said. "Claire, we're heading out as I suspect you'll be screwing his brains out in about 30 seconds flat. Beck will tell you the whole exciting story. Later kids."
Next stop was at Cat's apartment; where upon seeing the pair, she promptly fainted. When she woke up, Julia spent the next five minutes; convincing Cat, Tori and Jade weren't zombies. That effort wasn't aided by the fact that Jade threatened to eat Cat's brains. Tori made her stop of course.
Once that misunderstanding was cleared up, the red haired girl hugged both of them and reminded them how horrible they stank.
Wanting to get home, Jade and Tori said their goodbyes and headed off.
On the final leg of the journey home, things got quiet in the car. It was the end of a very long journey and both women were worn out. Instead they just held hand and waited until they arrived home.
Just after 6:30 in the evening, the Limo glided to a halt in front of the gates to their mansion. They were home.
"I can have the driver drop you off at your doorstep." Said Julia.
Jade however, shook Julia's' hand. . "No..That's ok. We can walk the final distance ourselves. I just want to give you my personal thanks, for all you've done."
"Me Too." Added Tori.
"You're very welcome. I'm headed to the castle tomorrow to start to inventory what's all there. That and to check up on Valentina. Arrange our second date."
"Well, tell Val, her queen is proud of her. And could you do me one thing."
"What?"
"I 'm sure the wizards council will want to study some of her dark magic stuff, but I would very much like everything and I mean everything relating to mind control spells, to be destroyed. It's all, too fucking dangerous."
Julia nodded. "Consider it done."
Tori and Jade got out of the limo, shut the door and watched it head down the road. Turning around they could see the gate and above the fence: Home.
Jade's pov
I'm wasn't sure what I was going to feel when and If I'd ever see home again. Would I feel relief, Joy, sadness, I just didn't know.
But as I stood before the gate, I felt this horrible sense of guilt and regret. Not only had I let Tori down, I had let down, Fiona, Amelia and Tawney; my three little girls. Yes I set out on this to protect them, but in the process, put them in more danger.
Not to mention that fact that I left them and died. While the twins are too young to understand, I can only imagine my poor Fiona.
I was also afraid. What if they rejected me, hated me. It's irrational but the fear, the anxiety is real enough. It's strange but I'm more afraid of facing my daughter and having to tell her why she had to be told I was dead, then facing Claudia.
"How can I possibly face them Tori. " I said, my voice starting to tremble, as she punched in the code to open the gate.
Tori turned and sensing my distress, put her arm around me. "Its going to be ok."
"How do you know that? What if she hates me? I'm the one that screwed up. I promised her I'd be back in a few days. It's been over two months. I'm dead and buried and….and….."
I'd been so focused on the task of taking Claudia down, I had been keeping a lot of things in; holding it all together, for the sake of the upcoming fight. But right there in the driveway, thinking about all the damage I'd done, I burst into tears and promptly melted down on the spot.
Within seconds I felt Tori's arms wrap protectively around me. "I'm scared too. I'm to blame too. Jade. But it's only a mistake and people can forgive mistakes. We've got three little girls in there who want and need us. We will face this together. "
I think I cried for a few more minutes into her shoulder before I was able to compose myself.
"I'm sorry Tori."
Taking my hand, Tori started to walk me up the driveway.
I was still scared but as I calmed down, but it helped me to know that Tori felt just as horrible as I did. I could sense it.
We walked up he driveway and up to the front door, but it was locked.
"How's that for irony, we come home and we're locked out. Maybe the universe is telling us something." I noted cynically.
"Stop that. We'll go around to the patio. The door is usually unlocked."
So walked around to the patio. We saw no one outside, but the lights were on inside the house. As Tori suspected, the glass doors on the patio that led inside.
Walking through the doors we found ourselves in the large "Party room." A large marbled floor room with a large bar on the left and various tables and chairs around. It looked exactly the same, with one exception. All over the room were Toys and they were scattered everywhere.
Tori picked up one of Fiona's dolls, that happened to be near her feet. "It looks like a toy store exploded. Going to have to make them pick up their toys."
Except I was looking at the toys. I was staring at a spot on the floor about 10 feet from me. The very spot where Livia died.
"This is for Tori's face"
I remember saying that just before jamming that wooden table leg through her heart. Imagine, of all the crimes and misdeeds she had committed in her 2000 years of existence, ultimately she gets killed for putting a tiny scar on my girlfriends face.
Right then and there, I started to wonder, if that look of fear and terror in her eyes, just before she died was real. Perhaps she simply acted afraid; to fool me into thinking I'd won. She wouldn't be so stupid as to say, I'll be avenged. She'd act like this was the final end: a final act of defiance. After a few seconds of thought, I was convinced that it was truly an act. And I bought it, hook line and sinker. One final, horrible revelation.
Yet another humiliation, heaped upon me.
"She fooled me." I said quietly.
"What?"
"Livia. Just before she died, she had this look of terror in her eyes. I thought it meant I won, it was a thrill seeing it the fear. But she knew her daughter would come after me, that all of this was far from over. In that last few seconds of her existence, she tricked me. As an actress, I can only say it was a brilliant performance. All this time, I thought I won, that I could rest easy in my victory. She wanted me to think that. I lost, and didn't even know it. "
"It's over Jade. Now…it's over."
Letting my gaze at the spot of Livia's death remain just a bit longer, a quote from Shakespeare came to mind.
"The fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man knows himself to be a fool. As you Like it, Act 5, Scene 1. But which am I, the fool or the wise man."
"You're neither, You're Jade West, my mate and the love of my life. I forgive you and the girls will too. You're better than Livia and you've proven it. And if she was laughing at you from hell, she's not anymore, nor will she again."
Before we could say or do anything else, I realized I could smell Tori's mothers, spaghetti.
"Smells like dinner time Jade. Come on." Said Tori with a giddy look.
So we headed towards the kitchen and I don't know about Tori but my heart was pounding in my chest.
As we approached I thought I could hear a noise coming from there, but wasn't sure. A few seconds later we entered the kitchen and found a full spaghetti dinner on the table, ready to go, 0nly there was no one there.
"Where is everyone?" I said.
Just then I heard a loud bang and felt my right shoulder explode with pain.
Almost instantly I dived to the floor. "FUCK!" I'm guessing our smell, got us mistaken for demons.
Before I could do anything, I suddenly found myself face to face with Tori's mother in wolf form and she looked really pissed.
"DADDY! IT'S Me Tori! Don't shoot" Shouted Tori, who had dived as well.
The wolf form of Holly Vega froze and just stared at us. Then she cautiously moved forward and began to smell us. She is a werewolf and an experienced one, so if she attacked she could do some real damage. I had to be careful.
She sniffed me and then Tori, then turned back into human form. I could see she was wearing one of the Fenrir necklaces that allowed her to change without removing clothes.
Once in human form she stood above us, looking noticeably surprised. TORI! JADE!"
For the moment however I turned to my right shoulder which was not bleeding, though already starting to heal. I'd been shot but with a normal bullet. It would heal in minutes, but hurt like hell. Of all the crap I've been through, that just puts a cherry on top of it all.
"What gives!, I go through hell and finally get home, only to get popped in my fucking kitchen!"
Just then I saw Tori's father come in the room, pistol in hand. He looked just as shocked as Holly.
"It's us. It's really us." Said Tori, as she helped me off the ground.
Holly turned to David and scowled. "I told you not to fire right away. You hit Jade."
"Well you're the one that told me you smelled a demon."
Holly turned and hugged Tori, "You're dead….they told us you were dead."
Likewise, after holstering his pistol, David walked up and hugged me. "I'm sorry, but you smelled like…."
"A demon, that's because we're both covered with demon goo."
What happened next, besides the pain was a tearful reunion, one in which even I wasn't immune.
"But….why…." David said as he hugged Tori.
"It's a long story, but we walked into a trap. We escaped, but had to fake our deaths. To protect The girls and give us time to recover and regroup. It's over now. The danger has passed."
Holly then called out, "Trina, bring the girls here. It's Tori and Jade, their alive."
Just then I looked up and saw the form of my daughter Fiona in the doorway. Her hair was a bit longer but the second she saw me, she lit up like a Christmas tree. Me, I just cried even harder.
"MOMMIES!" Shrieked the my daughter, with joy as she ran up to me and hugged me.
For the first time in two months I held my little girl again. "I missed you Fiona so much. I'm sorry I had to go away."
She pulled back and wiped a tear as she had started to cry. "They said you were in heaven and I couldn't see you anymore. I was sad."
All of a sudden I felt like an utter shit again. "I'm sorry Fiona. A bad person was after all of us. We had to hide to stay safe. I'm so sorry, I messed up. Please forgive me. "
"I forgive you mommy Jade." Replied Fiona with a kiss to my cheek.
Five simple words, but they were 5 simple words I desperately needed to hear. Moments later, the twins ran up and hugged me too. I was haunted and remained haunted, but with my little girls armed wrapped around me, I finally knew the nightmare was over. Crying harder, I pulled them as tight as I could.
Knowing they forgave me and loved me, it was the best feeling in the world.
I was finally home.
One more chapter and this story will draw to a close.
Actor Jim Backus was not only the millionaire on Gilligan's Island, he was also the voice of nearsighted cartoon character, Mr. Magoo.
The chapter title, "Wouldn't it be nice, I a reference to the Beach Boy's song of the same name.