Feliz Día de los Muertos my fellow Mexicans! And to my other readers around the world as well! This is my favorite holiday of the year, why? Because I like to think that it brings me closer to my paternal grandmother who sadly passed away a few years ago and who I miss very much, so I dedicate this chapter to her.

Cuernavaca.

"We're here." Mr. Vega said as he got out of the taxi. "This place never changes."

"Getting a bit nostalgic, aren't we dad?"

"You would too if you came back to the house you grew up Trina." The man shot back to his eldest daughter. "It's been years since last I been here."

"Really?" Tori asked curiously, "How long has it been dad?"

"I think the last time I was here was when you two were around seven and six years old." He shrugged. "You two probably don't remember when you visited your abuelos house for the first time."

Both his daughter shook their heads.

"I do remember when Abuela Rosita and Abuelo Carlos visited us when we were kids though." Tori said with a grin. "They always spoiled us rotten."

"You mean they spoiled you rotten." Trina corrected with some jealousy. "Our grandparents always liked you more, I don't know why though! I was their first granddaughter!"

"Probably because you weren't exactly easy to handle back then." Jade said, getting the luggage out of the taxi. "Or now for that matter."

"JADE!"

"What?" She shrugged. "At least I didn't say she was a pain in the ass and don't look at me that way because we all know it's the truth."

Before anything else could be said, Gibby got the rest of the luggage out and stood next to his wife, whistling at the house in front of them.

"What a place." He said. "Is this really the house you grew up in Mr. Vega?"

"Yes it is Gibby." He said to his son in law. "I remember running around in the backyard as a boy, playing with my old man."

"I don't think I met your father, Mr. Vega." Jade said unsurely. "As a matter of what I don't even recall seeing him in our wedding, Tor."

"That's because…." Tori replied sadly. "… Mi abuelo Carlos passed away three years ago, Jade."

"Oh shit!" She swore. "I'm sorry… I didn't mean…!"

"It's fine, baby." Tori said. "You didn't know and I already mourned his passing."

"But why didn't you tell me?"

"Honestly?" Tori said meekly. "I thought that you may have wanted to smell in the fumes of his soul if I told you."

"Oh come on!" The Thespian snapped. "Did you really think I was going to fly all the way to Mexico just to do that?"

"We drove to San Diego so you could be around the dead body of Mona Patterson." Tori said dryly. "Remember?"

"Ok first of all, it was Cat's idea to go there." Jade shot back. "Second of all, I wanted to pick up the remains of her soul, not her body and third of all she wasn't even dead!"

"Why can't I have a normal sister in law?" Trina muttered to herself. "My sister could've married a nice woman but noooo, she had to fall in love with a psycho."

"You know I can hear you, right?"

"Good… You were supposed to!"

"Do it for Tori… Do it for Tori… Do it for Tori." Jade kept repeating her inner mantra, massaging her temples to keep at bay the headache the older brunette was causing her, she always did this when her patience towards Trina was running thin, she had to remind herself of the love she has towards her wife to keep herself from killing her sister in law.

"So uh… Since your grandpa has been dead for some time." Gibby said unsurely, trying in his own way to change the subject to keep his wife from getting doomed by the former Goth. "Does it mean that your grandma lives alone?"

"Not really Gibbs." Trina replied. "My aunt Maria lives with her."

"That's nice."

"Ohh I forgot about Aunt Maria!" Tori said clapping her head excitedly. "It's been a while since we last saw her!"

"Remind me again, which one is her?" Jade asked.

"She's my sister." Mr. Vega said. "She's the one who made a toast at your wedding."

"Ah, I remember." The Thespian nodded. "She kept giving me the evil eye for most of the reception and then we had a talk."

"She did that?" Tori asked perplexed. "When?"

"Every time you weren't looking." Jade shrugged. "She threatened to hunt me down and kick my ass if I ever hurt her favorite niece."

"Seriously?!" Trina asked with jealousy. "Why Tori's always the favorite!"

"It's a mystery." Her sister said sheepishly. "Anyway, let's get inside! I can't wait to see Abuelita Rosita!"

"Her, I remember." The Thespian groaned. "Of all your relatives Tor, she's the one that disliked me the most."

"They're your relatives now too you know." Tori pointed out. "And come on, it can't be that bad."

"She wondered how her sweet little granddaughter could've ended up marrying a grouchy vampire like me." Her wife said dryly. "She wasn't against you marrying another woman, she was however very against you marrying me, don't you remember?"

"That was when she first met you." Tori said. "No offense baby, but you don't exactly give the best first impression."

"Yeah, I still have nightmares when we first crossed paths." Trina shuddered. "You gave me a look that I swear almost took my soul!"

"Drama queen." Jade dismissed. "I wasn't trying to take your soul."

"Oh… Ok then."

"I was trying to squish it."

"TORI!"

"Hey at least she didn't drop coffee down your hair when you first met her." Her sister shrugged. "You got off easy."

"You're never going to let me forget I did that, are you Tor?"

"Nope." She teased. "Don't worry baby, I already forgave you for that a long time ago."

"Good to know."

"I knew I was hearing someone out here."

Everyone turned their heads to the front door to see an elderly woman, smiling widely at them.

"Abuelita!" Tori said cheerfully, running to give her grandmother a hug, something she turned in kind. "¿Como haz estado?"

"Ah Tori, mi nieta." Rosita grinned. "You're a sight for sore eyes; you grow more beautiful every time I see you."

"You always say that Abuelita." Tori said bashfully.

"That's because its true!" She said before looking at the rest of her guests. "Ah, David! Mijo, it's so good to see you."

"Hi mom." The cop greeted. "It has been a while hasn't it?"

"So you decided to finally give your old mother a visit?" Rosita said. "About time! A few phone calls a month just isn't enough you know!"

"That's why I brought the family." He said. "I figured what better time than now?"

"Well you're not wrong." She teased.

"Hi abuela!" Trina greeted. "How you been?"

"I have been fine Katrina." She said curtly. "Now where is that fine young man you were lucky enough to marry?"

"Um.. Right here Miss Vega." Gibby said behind his wife, giving his grandmother in law a wave. "Nice to see you again."

"You don't need to be so formal Gibson. "You can call me Grandmamma if you want."

"See how she never was this polite with me Vega?" Jade muttered to her wife. "I'm telling you, she has it out for me."

"Don't be silly baby." Tori dismissed. "Mi Abuela likes you, just go and say hi."

"So she can bite my neck?" The Thespian snarled. "I don't think so!"

"Oh for the love of…" The Latina said annoyed. "Ok you big baby, I'll come with you."

The married couple walked towards the elderly woman.

"Abuelita, you remember Jade, right?"

The thespian cleared her throat. "Nice to see you again."

"Ah, so you brought Vampirella with you Tori dear." Rosita said, giving her granddaughter's wife a quick glance. "I see you're still wearing black and are as pale as a ghost, fitting considering you're into that horror stuff, granted I seen some of those scary movie you acted on and I was hardly impressed, more of a snooze fest rather than any real terror."

"Abuelita!" Tori admonished. "Jade worked very hard for her roles."

"Not hard enough it seems."

Trina and Gibby looked at Jade who was trying to hold in her tongue.

"I swear Treen." Gibby said, taking a step back "I can hear her blood pressure rising."

"Abuelita, can I have a word with you please?" Tori asked sharply, grabbing her by the arms so they could have a private conversation.

Tori didn't even notice the Ofrendas her grandmother had left with several family portraits, flowers and several types' offerings and if she did noticed she didn't give them much mind at the moment.

After getting into an empty room, Tori glared at her grandma. "Ok Abuelita, what do you have against Jade?"

"Nothing Tori, she's a lovely young woman."

"Then why are you so hard on her?!" Tori bellowed. "She's my wife and I love her so much so I would at least appreciate if you treated her with a little more respect!"

"Tori, baby." Rosita said. "It's not that I don't like your wife, it's just that she reminds me of someone."

"Really, who?"

"Myself."

"Huh?"

"Tori, when I first met your grandfather, I wasn't exactly the nicest person." She explained. "In fact, I was a total bitch."

"YOU?!" Tori bellowed surprised. "I don't believe it!"

"Believe it." Rosita said. "In fact, when we first started going out, his parents didn't like me and tried to set us apart your Carlos, bless his heart loved me and just like you're doing right now, he didn't take any crap from the treatment they gave me, I'm not being mean to Jade because I hate her, I'm being mean to her to test her."

"Wait… What?"

"You heard me." She smirked. "I want to see with my own two eyes that you married the right woman and what better way than to see how she reacts? Don't think I haven't noticed how she wanted to explode out there but out of love towards you, she held in her tongue."

"Believe me, that's not exactly easy for her to do."

"I can tell." Rosita said. "She may have kept her mouth shut but I can tell that if looks could kill, I would already be dead."

"Speaking of dead, I saw the ofrendas you put in the living room Abuelita." Tori said. "You outdid yourself this year!"

"Aw, than you sweetie."

"Abuelita… Could I ask you a favor?"

While Tori was talking to her grandmother, the rest of the family entered the house, Jade specially took noticed of the altar with all the photos and offering.

"What this?" She asked curiously.

"Ah, this Jade is the Ofrendas we give our family members that have moved on." Mr Vega explained. "See, today is el dia de los Muertos and on this day we commemorate the dead by giving them offering and let them know that even though they're gone, we still remember them, they say that on this day, the come back from the land of the dead to visit the living."

Jade watched every photo in the Ofrendas.

"Is that your dad?"

"Yes it is." Mr. Vega confirmed. "Carlos Vega, he's the reason as to why I became a cop, he did just about anything to protect our family and I wanted to follow in his footsteps."

"Hey dad?" Trina asked. "Who is that?"

He looked at where his daughter was pointing and smiled. "Ah, that would be my grandma Victoria."

"You named Tori after her?" Gibby asked curiously. "She must have meant a big deal for you to do that."

"You're not wrong." He nodded. "She was just about the nicest person anyone would love to have as a grandma but unfortunately died before Tori was born, I know she would've loved to have met her great-granddaughter."

"So… does that mean that I met her? Trina asked. "When I was a baby?"

"You did." Her father confirmed. "In fact, the day you were born, she held you in her arms and you went right to sleep, I don't even know how she could do that."

"Clearly that woman had the patience of a saint." Jade said. "She has my respect."

"HEY!"

Before anything else could be said, Tori and Rosita came back, the previous was holding a frame picture behind her back.

"What are you guys talking about?"

"Just talking about Grandma Victoria, Mija."

Rosita looked at the photo of her deceased mother longingly. "I swear that every year on this day I can feel her with us."

"That's because she is." Tori said firmly. "And I think every family member should feel closer to their loved ones… So… Jade, I got a little something for you."

"Oh?" She asked. "What is it Vega?"

Tori puts a picture of Danielle West on the Ofrendas and puts some flowers and pan de muertos in front of it."

"See baby… I just printed a picture of your mom and sice today we celebrate the dead, I thought this would be a good opportunity for you to feel closer to your mom."

Jade took a quick glance at her wife before looking at the ofrendas, a few tears running down her face.

"Tori… thank you."

"You're welcome baby." She said lovingly, giving her a soft kiss on the cheek before giving her a one arm hug.

What no one could see what that they weren't alone as some Vega family members were with them.

"That's my great-granddaughter." Victoria said proudly. "She has a big heart."

"Believe me, I know what you mean." Danielle West said with a grin. "She's a clever woman too, she found a loophole for me to visit the land of the living once a year."

Danielle walked towards her daughter, giving her a squeeze on the shoulder and a one arm hug.

Jade look at the spot next to her.

"Anything wrong baby?"

"No… I just.. I thought I felt something."

"Maybe it was your mom?" Tori suggested. "She could be with us right now."

"Yeah… Maybe."

Danielle grinned. "Not maybe… I am with you Jade… No matter what."

Happy day of the dead everyone!

As you all remember, Jade's mom first appeared in the Mother's day chapter, I thought it would be fitting for her to come back on this day dedicated to remember the dead.

What did you guys thought of this chapter? Good? Bad? In Between?"

Also, the next chapter will be about Friday the 13th because Dan Schneider stated it's Jade's favorite holiday, plus the next chapter is the 13th, so you guys see where I'm going with this and after that it's a Thanksgiving chapter.

See you then.

Invader Johnny Signing Off.