Bury the Past

Disclaimer: Don't own Victorious

A/N: The next chapter is the final chapter of this story, so I am going to be placing both of these up together because of that. So here you go, the last two chapters! Closure of the personal drama, followed by closure of the murder case.

Chapter 23 (Things Renewed)

Trina followed David into his home and grinned when she saw Martin waiting on the couch with a book in hand. "Oh great," David muttered while rolling his eyes, "You're in my house. Did I allow that?" Martin stood up and gave a polite nod.

"Yes sir."

"Huh. I must have been drinking." David walked past Martin, ignoring him. Trina smiled and wiped her eyes as her husband approached with arms outstretched. "Go ahead and tell him the good news, Trina. I'm going to pour us some drinks." He paused and looked back with a smirk as Martin hugged Trina tight. "Actually…I'm going to pour Marty boy here a drink, myself a drink, and you get water or soda Kiddo."

Trina raised an eyebrow and shook her head. "I think I can do with a small glass of wine, Dad." Martin leaned his head back, arching his eyebrows high. Trina flashed a smile at him and bowed her head, sighing as she let him wipe away a tear with his thumb. "So Martin, a couple things…we made an arrest."

"That's great news!"

"You might want to testify in court. Up to you, but you can testify to his shooting ability." Her husband furrowed his brow and looked from her to David, then back. He opened his mouth to speak, but before he asked the question she knew he was wondering, she answered. "Beck. The man that approached you at our range, the one that tried to mess with our marriage by making you cheat…" She took a deep breath and dropped her hand into his. "He's been charged with murder. Two counts of murder in the first degree and two counts of attempt."

"Oh god." Martin raised a hand to his head and staggered back. "I can't believe I was that close to a killer. He could have killed me that night!"

"He wouldn't have had much of a reason to." Statistically murderers were the least likely to commit another crime than other types of criminals because their murder was intended for one target and one person. "Unless he were a serial or mass murderer, he wouldn't have had much reason to kill again."

"Did you get him to confess?"

David brought three things of wine over, handing Trina the glass with the least amount. She rolled her eyes and smirked at her father. Martin studied the glass, his brow furrowing more with curiosity. "He lawyered up," David answered, "But that doesn't matter. We've got two surviving victims to give testimony, and enough evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt."

"Think he'll plead out?"

They clicked their glasses together and Trina took a tiny sip. "I doubt it." She lowered her glass slowly and started to sigh. "I think he's going to try and work some angle. Likely he'll try to say entrapment."

"Entrapment? That's what ended Gary's career, wasn't it? They made him retire because of the guy in the wreck that threw away his drugs?"

"Yeah…" Trina walked to the couch and closed her eyes. "Likely what Beck's lawyers are going to do is s charge that we went after him solely because of bad blood. Hopefully the jury listens to the evidence."

David sighed after taking a sip of his wine, then moved to the couch as well. "My supervisor is going to testify as an expert witness. The defense is going to try that angle, he's going to testify to our professionalism, as well as testifying to his own investigation."

"There's something else." Trina set her now empty glass down, bemoaning the lack of wine for a split second before standing up and moving towards her husband. "Martin…" Her lips turned into a wide smile, and her eyes lit up with joy as she took his hands in hers. "I wasn't sure how to say this, or when a good time would be, but there's no time like the present."

Martin smiled back and chuckled. "What is it?"

"I'm pregnant." Martin's eyes grew large and his jaw fell open, but before he could react, he started to pass out. David rolled his eyes and raised his glass.

"Be a man!"

Martin stood up and dusted himself off. "I-I'm sorry." Martin stammered and looked into her joyful eyes with shock and awe. "Did I hear you right?" He put his hands on her waist and looked down at her abdomen with a joyous laugh. "Pregnant? I'm going to be a dad? We're going to be parents?"

Tears ran down her cheeks, framing her smile as she nodded her head. David looked on with pride and took another sip of his wine. He looked at it with a frown. "Beer still tastes better to me." With a sigh, he glanced up and poked a finger at Martin. "Be a good father, a good husband. Don't make the same mistakes I did and I won't have to hurt you."

Martin choked up and tears welled up in his eyes. "Oh yes sir, don't worry sir." He leaned in, whispering in Trina's ear. "You know your real dad scares me a lot more than your godfather?" She laughed once and wiped her face.

"Just wait until you've got them both in the same room."

"Oh god…I hope no one goes out on a stretcher."

David was back in the kitchen, pouring himself a small glass of beer. "If anyone does," he said in a singsong voice, "It's gonna be you." Martin paled and Trina started to sigh. It was strange, she thought Gary had been the grouchy sarcastic one, but he was nothing compared to her dad. Granted, David had his reasons.

The next big event was the renewal of their vows. This time the ceremony was simpler, not as fancy or huge as her wedding. Enough time passed that the hospital allowed Tori to leave, so she was able to be present. Unfortunately, but not surprising, Jade wasn't there.

Gary and Carol were able to drive out from the Oasis retirement community, along with both Commander Chapman and Chief Deputy Perez. Gary, David, the Chief and Commander all in the same room was something of an amusement for Trina to watch.

"I've heard so much about both of you," David said to the tall blonde woman and the bald man beside her. Perez started to smirk and glanced sideways at Chapman, who blinked multiple times. "Good things I hope," Chapman replied. The flat expression on her face gave away the disbelief of her own statement. "It has been a pleasure having Detective Lawton with the SST."

"Ah yes." David pat Gary on the back and grinned from ear to ear. "I'm retiring soon, thinking of moving up to the Canyon with my youngest. I'm interested in signing up with the SST."

Chapman's eyebrows rose sharply along with the pitch in her voice. "Oh really?" She extended her hands and clapped them. "Well it will be a pleasure to have both Trina's fathers on board with us." Trina tapped her upper lip with her finger and used her hand to conceal her snickering grin. Chapman looked at her as if to ask if Trina were still punishing her for not listening to her in regards to the prior robberies within the community.

After all, both David and Gary had A-type personalities and neither of them were softies or pushovers. They were driven, and if they thought something was going on, they were going to push and push until something was done about it.

Carol walked over, shaking her head at the two men. "I am going to have to find a way to separate both of you men, aren't I?"

"You might have just gained a second husband Mrs. Lawton," Perez joked. The man sipped on a cup of coffee, which Trina noticed he always seemed to have a drink in his hand. Carol rolled her eyes and her smile seemed to shine past everyone.

"Oh believe me. Back in the day, Holly and I were the peacemakers." She still was. Trina crossed her arms and took a deep breath, remembering how both her mother and Carol were always trying to keep the peace between everyone and make sure to find a way to please everybody and quell the fighting. Carol was more of an active peacemaker than Holly, but they both ran things. It was going to be interesting now with just her.

Gary looked at his wife with great concern, cupping her hand in his. "Just please don't strain yourself worrying about us, honey. I don't know what I'd do if something were to happen to you."

David grunted. "You'd go crazy." Gary dropped his head and started to sigh.

"Yes. I probably would."

"No probably about it. You would. Hell, I'm surprised I haven't yet."

"Well Dave, a good friend of mine once told me, sometimes you have to learn to be happy with what you have." Trina smiled as David looked back at her with a knowing expression. "Clarence. You'll meet him at the SST, he's the one that gave Trina her first ride along there, he's a long-time friend of mine."

"Yeah. Sounds like he's a wise man."

Trina folded her hands in front of her waist and looked back, seeing her sister seated in one of the pews. Tori had her head bowed and her hands were clasped in her lap. She still wasn't saying much, but she appeared happy to be with her family.

No charges were being pressed on her for knowingly infecting anyone, and nobody had decided to sue. Only time would tell if anything was going to happen, though, but for now none of that mattered.

Trina approached her, taking a seat and placing a gentle hand onto her back. It was time to be her sister now, and not an investigator. "You okay, little sis?" Tori raised her head and scoffed.

"What do you think? Asking a question like that."

"I think you're broken and torn. I think you're hurting, and that's perfectly normal." Tori closed her eyes, fidgeting her thumbs and pressing them together. "You have us now. I'm here, Dad's here…you have a family."

"I don't have any friends. Andre's gone…" Tori's eyes filled with tears and she started to breathe heavily. "My feelings for him were as real as my feelings for Jade, but I can't look at Jade the same anymore."

"She went through the same tragedy." It was unlikely either girl were going to be able to recover enough and speak to each other anytime soon. That was expected. They both had anger and guilt, and the truth of the matter was plain to everyone, including them: If Jade had never been infected, or even had that affair, Beck never would have been. Had he never been infected, there would have been no motive-no reason for him to commit the crime he did.

"I wish I had never done the things I did, Trina. That goes all the way back to Hollywood Arts. Sometimes I even wish I hadn't met them. Any of them…"

"I know." Trina hugged her, letting her cry onto her shoulder until Martin walked up. The services were about to start, and the waterworks had already begun well before then.

"There's a couple other guests that haven't arrived yet," he said with a quiet tone. Trina raised her head, curious to know who was left out, and Tori slowly wiped her eyes. "I um, I invited them to the ceremony. They haven't been to LA in a long time, never wanted to come back, but they were um…'Compelled!' to come…"

"Oh?"

The doors of the church blew open and six shadows stretched along the floor. Tori's eyes widened and her lips twisted into a tiny smile as Trina's jaw fell open. Robbie had a hand at his waist and his right hand raised into the air. "We have arrived!" Cat closed her eyes and bowed her head.

"Honey, we can drop the act. We're not performing right now." Their children, one older daughter and three triplets, scurried into the room like a flood. Robbie dropped his hand and started to sigh.

"Every minute of life is an opportunity to perform, to enjoy life in its finest. To create memories, vivid and infinite as the universe itself."

Cat put her fingertips to her forehead and chuckled. "God, what did I marry? I love you so much." Robbie kissed her and put an arm around her waist.

"Come, let us drink and be merry."

Trina looked at Martin, saying nothing and shaking her head while giving him a gentle smile. Tori stood shakily, staring at the couple with fresh tears streaming down her face. "C-Cat? R-Robbie?" The couple froze, and suddenly the cheerful demeanor grew somber and quiet.

"It's been a long time," Robbie answered. There was a stillness in the air, and it seemed as if all eyes were on the pair. "We may be here for your sister and her husband, but we're here for you as well. We…heard what you went through. We are…so sorry."

Tori sobbed and threw her hand over her mouth, choking up as Cat embraced her first. Then Robbie embraced both of them, tears in his eyes as well as his wife's.

Trina wrapped her arms around her stomach and gripped her upper arms firmly while leaning into Martin. "You continue to amaze me, Martin. Gestures like this…I love you."

"I love you too."

She didn't know if a friendship would start anew for the three, especially given how much Robbie and Cat travelled, but regardless it was a good thing that they were here now. If their presence could bring joy and a little bit of peace to Tori as it did for millions of their fans, then Trina was thrilled to have them.

The wedding bells chimed minutes later, and Trina was joined at the start of the aisle by Gary and David. They locked their arms around her elbows and looked at each other with serious expressions, eventually smiling and giving a nod of respect before leading her along to the altar.

Having them both there drew tears from her eyes, but she couldn't wipe them as she was holding onto a bouquet of flowers. At the end of the aisle stood Chief Perez on the side of Martin, and Commander Chapman on her side.

Likely Chapman was wondering how and why Trina opted to have her stand at the alter as though one of her bridesmaids or matron of honor; but the woman smiled anyway and to Trina's surprise as she neared her approach, Chapman was crying like a baby.

She even heard Gary whisper to David. "My god, the ice queen has emotions."

At the altar, David and Gary stepped in front of her and before Martin, looking at him with respect before sidestepping out of the way and letting her walk between them. She stepped in front of Martin, looking at him with a loving and tender gaze. She handed Chapman the bouquet to hold and let Martin take her hands.

The preacher went through his standard fare, then let the two of them speak. Martin didn't look from her eyes once. "When I first met you, I knew you were the woman I wanted to be with…" He squeezed her hand and she stifled a sob. "Everything we've been through since we've gotten married, everything we've survived…from being jobless and spending our first few months of marriage living in a retirement community…" She chuckled once and Martin smiled more. "To even recent events. I feel like everything has made us stronger, I know more than I knew from our first date and our first kiss, that you are the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with. I love you, Katrina Ellie-" He paused, his smile turning into a cute, playful smirk. "Vega-Lawton-Skopic."

Trina sniffed and let out a short and quick laugh. She leaned forward, wanting to kiss him now, but restrained herself. "Nothing makes me happier to have you in my life, Trina. Before I met you, I thought I had everything I could ever want and need. That all changed, and now I feel truly together we can have anything we want and we can achieve anything."

"I love you Martin. So much." She wiped her cheeks and closed her eyes. "Coming here to Los Angeles, being away from you during all this made me want and need you more than I ever felt like I needed someone in my life." She took a deep breath. "I've been through a lot of things, so many things that made me think nobody could ever want to be with someone like me. I've witnessed tragedies, I've been called so many things, told so many times no one would care about me-to the point I didn't even want a man in my life because I was so self-conscious. I even got dropped from a harness once for insulting a puppet…"

"Moving onwards!" Someone called from the pews. She chuckled softly and Martin rolled his eyes as some of the guests laughed. Robbie's wife smirked and his children all turned their heads to their father. As this happened, he raised his hand over his eyes and muttered. "I hate LA…How I hate it…"

"I felt useless, like nobody could ever care for me. Then you came into my life, and for the first time, somebody wanted me." She moved her arms around his neck and gazed into his warm, tender eyes. "Thank you. Thank you so much for being there, for loving me and being the most amazing man in my life. I know you'll be a great husband, a fantastic father, and I'm looking so forward to spending the rest of my life with you."

The preacher spoke some more, then announced to Martin that he may kiss his bride. Trina leaned up and felt his arms tighten around her waist as he kissed her firmly and turned to dip her during the kiss.

As this was going on, David and Gary moved for the cameraman, placing their hands over the lens.

Lots of fun and seriousness in this chapter, and of course the renewal of the wedding vows. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, do tell your thoughts and observations. Of course, we can only imagine poor Commander Chapman of the SST with Gary and David there, now who's really running the joint?