After The Apologies
by John O'Connor


Disclaimer: "Victorious" and its characters are the property of Schnieder's Bakery and
Nickelodeon. This story is for entertainment purposes only and no money exchanged hands. No
copyright infringement is intended. The original characters, situations, and story are the property
of the author. No profit is intended or wanted for this story.


Notes: Takes place immediately following 'After the Breakup'. Girly sex up 'til the 1st story break.

Book quote taken from "Darkness Be My Friend" by John Marsden - the fourth book in his
"Tomorrow" series.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jade and Tori were still wrapped in each other's arms, their naked bodies pressing together, as
they continued to kiss and caress each other.  Neither noted, or cared, that they'd been making
love for nearly three hours.

The relief at their reunion and makeup added fuel to their fire but they were finally slowing down.

Finally parting to catch their breaths again, Tori said, "I'm so sorr…"

"NO!  ENOUGH!" Jade yelled.  "We agreed after the five hundredth that we're both sorry and
that's that!  Got it!"

Tori stared at Jade, the girl was so beautiful when she was angry, then smiled, licking her lips
with the tip of her tongue, as she nodded.  In a husky voice, she said, "Okaaay…"

 Jade said, "My god, you're so sexy…"

"You too," Tori agreed.  "I love you, Jade West."

"I love you too, Vega.  When we can get married, I want to take your name."

Tori pulled back and studied Jade's face, her eyes wide.  "Married?"

"Yeah, later when we're ready and it's legal here.  Bad enough I have to share his DNA, I don't
want his name."

Tori's eyes narrowed as they teared up.  "I…don't know what to say…  I…I think…  No, I did
always want this.  I wasn't sure you felt the same and…"

Jade shut her up with a soft kiss.  "Quiet, Vega.  I'm surprised that you're surprised I want you as
my wife.  Who wouldn't?  You're beautiful, sexy, smart, funny, talented and the most caring soul
I've ever met."

"Wow."  Tori blushed at the un-Jade-like compliments.  Then, with her own wicked grin, she
asked, "What's the sexiest thing about me?"

Jade laughed.  "Well, it ain't those mosquito bites."  To belie her words, Jade kissed and sucked
each nipple thoroughly.  "And it ain't that hot ass…"  Her hands squeezed and caressed the
Latina's supple ass cheeks.  "And it ain't your mouth..."  Jade kissed the other girl passionately.

Fingers slid down the flat, tanned stomach and slipped across remoistened nether lips.  "Guess it
might this," she said as she thrust a finger in deep.  "Or…"  Jade kissed Tori again.  "Or it might
be all of it together…"

After licking her finger clean, Jade smiled.  "I want more…"

Kissing her way down her lover's body for the third - or was it the fourth - time that night, she
arrived at her destination.  In seconds, her tongue was wiping up the dew on those sexy lips that
only Jade would ever get to see.

Tori moaned as she felt that talented tongue swipe her pussy, dancing and caressing the outer
lips before Jade thrust into her, finding and teasing her G spot.  That brought out another moan
from Tori, her head pushing back into the pillows and her eyes screwed shut as pleasure flowed
from her core.

Jade loudly slurped as she drank Tori's juices flowing around her tongue.  The unusual sound,
from Jade at any rate, caused Tori to look down.  Her eyes took in the sexiest sight - Jade with
her mouth sealed around her netherlips as those beguiling blue-green eyes held hers.

Then, the tongue started working it's magic again and Tori bit her hand as her newest climax
exploded over her.

Opening her eyes, she saw Jade's smiling face hovering over her.  Tori grabbed her, pulling that
wonderful mouth to hers and kissed the raven-haired girl passionately, tasting herself again on
Jade's tongue.

"You know the sexiest sight I've ever seen?" Tori asked once the kissing slowed.   Jade just
shook her head, her dark curls floating around Tori's face, tickling her.  "Seeing you down there
between my legs…"

Jade laughed wickedly.  "How odd, Vega.  I think that's the sexiest thing I've ever seen too - your
pretty face between my legs.  Wanna see?"

Puzzled and intrigued, Tori nodded and Jade crawled up to straddle Tori's head.  Ensuring she
didn't kneel on her girl's flowing locks, she lowered her wetness to Tori's welcoming mouth.
What Tori didn't see was Jade grabbing her PearPhone as she moved up and over her lover.

As Tori began to pleasure Jade, her tongue tasting the tartness she'd always associate with her
peppery girlfriend, Jade gazed down.  She held the phone and took several pictures before Tori's
eyes widened when she saw the phone.

The look of alarm in Tori's eyes, combined with that supple tongue pushing into her as the
Latina's nose rubbed her clit, caused Jade to cry out as she came on Tori's face.

Jade fell back, still clutching her phone, as her bones melted.  Tori sat up and grabbed for the
phone but Jade's limp body across hers held her down and curtailed the brunette's attempt to
reach the phone.

"Jade?  Jade?  JADE!"

"What?!?" the Goth yelled back.

"Give me the phone."

"No."

"Do not post that anywhere!"

"Please, Vega.  Do you really think I'd post this on the Slap or somewhere?"

"Well…"

"Even the old Jade who didn't like you wouldn't do that.  Right?"

"Uh-huh," Tori replied.

"So the Jade that loves you definitely won't."

"Promise?"

"Tori, I took that for us.  I will never share it with anyone else."

Still unsure, Tori said, "O-kaay…"

"Here," Jade said as she handed Tori the phone.  "Take a picture of this and we're even."

Jade resumed one of her favorite positions - between Tori's thighs.  Pressing her mouth again to
Tori's core, she couldn't resist herself and began to tongue the teen again.

Tori managed to shoot a couple of pics of her gal before her mind exploded again in a blaze of
pleasure.

Later, before they let sleep claim them, Tori and Jade looked at the pictures, seeing what each
found so sexy.  Then, shutting the phone off and sharing one last loving kiss, the pair fell into a
deep sleep.

~~~~~

Jade paced back and forth, the satin swishing around as she moved.  She had never felt so
nervous in her life.  This whole thing was suddenly so real.  It was almost overwhelming…

"He-ey Jadey!" Cat called as she walked into the room.  "You look gorgeous!"

"Thanks, Cat."  Jade glanced at the full-length mirror and nodded.  She was wearing a traditional
white wedding dress with a black sash - a concession to her normal manner of dress.  The veil
was back for the moment as she tucked another stray strand of black hair behind her ear.  Then
her hands ran down the flowing gown.

"Tori's really pretty too.  You are the cutest couple ever!" Cat enthused.

Hearing the organ music, Jade jumped.  It was time.

As if confirming that thought, Cat jumped up and down, yelling "It's time!"

Cat was wearing a deep blue gown as Jade's Maid of Honor.  It nicely accentuated her red velvet
hair.

There was a knock at the door and a deep voice called out, "Everybody decent?"

"Ha-ha!  Yes!" Cat called.

Jade's brother came in.  Jade was again struck at how he'd grown into such a handsome young
man.  He could give Beck a run for his money in any club in the Southland.  And she couldn't be
prouder.  Wearing the black tuxedo enhanced his appeal.

"God, Sis, you look incredible!"  He hugged her tightly and kissed her gently then pulled the veil
down into place.

Jade smiled self-consciously before replying, "You clean up pretty nice yourself, Lil' Bro."

"C'mon, let's get you married."

"Yay!" Cat clapped before racing out ahead of the West siblings.

Entering the back of the chapel, Jade saw Cat up at the altar with Beck looking pretty hot in his
tuxedo.  On the other side of the altar, Trina stood in a blue gown identical to Cat's and Andre
stood proudly in his tux.

The traditional wedding music began and Jade took her brother's arm as he led her down the
aisle towards the altar.

He kissed her cheek briefly once they got there then went to sit with her mother and Cat's
roomie, Sam Puckett.

The music continued and David Vega led a vision down the aisle.  Tori was all in white and had
never looked lovelier to Jade.  She felt a huge lump in her throat.  She didn't deserve this.  It was
too much.  She felt her head spin…

Anchoring herself, she watched as David released Tori's arm, kissed her briefly. Then, her soon-
to-be father-in-law kissed Jade's cheek before he sat next to Holly.

"Dearly beloved…"  The priest began the traditional ceremony and Jade could only stand there
and hold Tori's hand tightly as the man droned on.

Finally, reaching the moment in question, Jade replied, "I do, with all my heart."

Tori replied in kind.

Then came the rings.  Trina had to fight to get it off her finger before handing the gold band to
her sister.  Cat had much less trouble as she handed the matching band to Jade.

Jade led off, "Victoria Vega, when I met you, I saw a rival and a potential enemy.  But you never
ceased being nice and sweet to me.  I was often infuriated but, deep inside, I knew the real
reason that I could never voice.  The real reason I was so mean to you for those years at
Hollywood Arts.  It was because I was falling in love with you.  That love has only grown and
filled me.  I pledge my heart and my soul to you for the rest of time."

Jade slipped the ring on Tori's finger and kissed it.

Then Tori spoke, "Jadelyn West, there were times when I was about to give up on you only to
have you do something nice that proved to me you were capable of love and tenderness.  You
were a challenge and a worthy one.  When I realized I was in love with you, that only made it
more important to me.  Now, all that time and effort spent has been proven worthwhile.  You are
my other half.  With you I am complete and whole.  I pledge my heart and soul to you as well.
For all eternity."

As the priest said the final words, Jade and Tori kissed, sharing their love and joy before their
friends and family as they cheered and applauded.

~~~~~

Jade's eyes slowly opened.  She saw Tori lying next to her, snoring gently.  Looking at her bare
left hand, Jade realized it was a dream.  A lovely dream that she knew would one day become
their reality.

But she couldn't help but wonder why Sam Puckett was there and why Jade made her Cat's
roommate.  Her blonde counterpart lived in Seattle  and did the iCarly webcasts with Carly Shay.

Picking up her phone, she saw the time and muttered, "Shit!"

She jumped up and pushed Tori until her eyes opened.  "Wake up Vega!  Come on!  Wake the
hell up!  Hey, we gotta go.  C'mon."

Tori stared blankly at her naked girlfriend, "Huh?  What…?"

"We're supposed to be at my house in a half hour.  I'm jumping in the shower.  Go use the other
one!  And get a move on!"

Still with a blank look on her face, Tori slowly got up and stretched, smiling as she watched her
gal's tight ass before it disappeared into the bathroom.  Stretching again, she grabbed her robe
and headed to the hall and the other bathroom.

A few minutes later, back in their room, Tori grimaced as she smelled the air.  Sex.  Sex and
sweat.  She smiled remembering the night before as she opened the window to let in fresh air.

~~~~~

Once they were in Jade's car, the dark-haired girl glanced at Tori.  "Hey, Vega, when are you
getting your license?"

"Huh?"  tori jerked out of her reverie and turned to Jade.  "You know I failed my driving test
and…"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah.  Yadda, yadda, yadda.  That was last year."

"I thought you liked to drive," Tori said.  "That whole control thing..."

"I do.  But once in a while, I'd like to be chauffeured around."

"I'll think about it," the brunette replied with a pout.

"I had a dream last night.  Pretty real too."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, I kinda felt sad when I woke up and it was just a dream."

Tori waited and Jade stared at the road for several seconds.

"Well?"

"Oh.  Right.  I was telling you about my dream…"

Jade related the dream wedding to Tori who looked stunned as the story went on.  Finally, she
had to ask, "Was Sam Puckett there?"

"Yeah…  Wait!  How did you know that?" Jade demanded.

"I had the same dream!" Tori declared with a huge smile.

"Okay, now I'm getting kinda creeped out," Jade said with an exaggerated shudder.

Tori's face fell and she said, "Yeah.  Me too."

Jade kept glancing over at the side of the road for a full block.  Tori finally asked, "What are you
looking for?"

"Rod Serling."

The two lovers laughed for another couple of blocks.

"Tori?"

"Yes, Jade."

"I know we said we'd never speak of it again but…"

"Holy chiz! Jade West breaking one of her cardinal rules!"

"Yeah?  Well, get over it."

"Sorry, Jade.  What did you want to talk about?"  Tori was lost, there were so many things on
Jade's  never-speak-of-it-again list.

"Yesterday.  Well, not just yesterday but pretty much ever since I knew you.  Why did you
forgive me?  I mean, I said some nasty, evil things yesterday."

"Yeah, you did.  And they hurt.  A lot," Tori said.  Jade glanced at her and put her hand on Tori's
leg, squeezing it gently.

"But there was something I remember from…  Well, back when I started at Sherman, I found a
book in the school library that caught my eye.   The title really grabbed me.  'Tomorrow When
The War Began'.  I love how the tenses are mixed, y'know?"

Jade nodded even though Tori didn't expect a response.

"Well, it was the start of a seven-book series about high school kids in Australia.  They went
camping on their Christmas break and came home to find that the country had been overrun and
occupied."

"'Red Dawn'" Jade said.

"Yeah, sort of.  But not nearly as…gung-ho.  The lead character, Ellie, reminded me of me.  I
would sit and wonder if I could be as strong as her and do all they had to do just to survive the
occupation and the war.  But she worried about her friends with her and her family held by the
enemy.  And all the doubts and stuff teenagers deal with combined with fighting a guerilla war.

"You'd probably like it.  They blow up a bridge, kill soldiers and other war-type stuff."

"War-type stuff, Vega?"

"You know what I mean…

"Anyway, in the fourth or fifth book, though, there was a passage that I wanted to remember so I
memorized it.  Just seemed to be good advice for when I fell in love."

Tori closed her eyes for a moment then looked at Jade as she recited the quote:

"'I started to realize that it didn't really matter, that love could overcome all those stupid
misunderstandings; that if someone really loved you, they knew what was in your heart and it
didn't matter if you made mistakes.  They looked past your words and read your heart.  If they
liked what they saw there, if they recognized as good, they'd forgive just about anything.'"

Tori looked at Jade and saw the girl wipe at her eye surreptitiously.  To belie her action she said,
"Wow, Vega.  You memorized all that?"

Tori smiled brightly.  "I'm good with that kinda thing.

"Jade, from the moment I met you, I think I knew what was in your heart.  Well, maybe not the
first day with cold coffee soaking my head but after the whole stage fighting mess…"

Jade glanced over and mouthed a silent "Thank you."

Tori took Jade's hand and they rode the rest of the way in comfortable silence.

~~~~~

Jade and Tori arrived at the West house for lunch and some play time with Jade's brother, who
adored Tori.  Almost as much as his sister did.

"So, Jadey, did you and Tori make up?" her brother asked.

"Yeah, we did," Jade replied throatily.

Tori blushed a deep red and Mrs. West tried to hide a smile as she admonished her daughter.
"Jade…"

Jade just smiled evilly.  It felt good to actually enjoy being at her home for the first time in a long
time.

"So, kid, when's school start up again?"

He scowled and said, "Monday."

"Same as us," Tori stated.

"Yeah, five whole months until summer…" he moaned.  The three women laughed.

"C'mon, Jadey.  I challenge you!"

"Ri-ight, kid.  Lemme show you how it's done!"  Jade headed to the back of the house and the
game room.  She looked over her shoulder and, with a wicked gleam in her eye, asked, "Coming
Vega?"

Tori blushed again at the look in Jade's eye and nodded quickly, avoiding Mrs. West's eye as the
older woman smiled and shook her head at the kids.

Jade played her brother in Wii bowling.  She even bowled left-handed to give him an edge.  And
the game was close but Jade, with much grumbling, lost.  Tori, playing her normal right-handed
game lost too.

"Hah!  Beat both you old fogies!" the brown-haired boy taunted.

"Fogies?  FOGIES?!?" Jade asked dangerously.  "I'll give you fogies, you little brat!"

Jade grabbed her brother and started to tickle him, causing the brown-haired boy to giggle and
squeal.  "Jaaadey!"

"What's the magic word?" Jade asked, still mercilessly tickling the boy.

"U…  UNC…  UNCLE!"

Jade relented and kissed the top of the boy's head.  He looked up at Jade, his face still red and
his breathing still rapid.  "What about Tori?'

With wide eyes, Tori held her hands up, "Oh, no.  No, no, no…"

Denial did her no good and she was tickle assaulted by two determined Wests.  Soon she was
lying on her side, giggling and desperately trying to suck air into her lungs.

After her assault, Tori slowly sat up and looked at the boy.  He nodded quickly and they
advanced on Jade, keeping between the Goth and the door.

"I'm only going to say this once.  NO!"  Her shout fell on deaf ears so she upped her threat ante,
"I will cut anyone who tries to tickle me."

In seconds, the raven-tressed girl was on the floor, laughing and giggling as she was tickled just
as mercilessly.

When the tickle fights subsided, they continued to play various games with Jade's Christmas
present for the little guy - the Wii - for a while then a couple of games of Eight Ball on the real
pool table in the game room.  Here, Jade beat her brother.  Then Tori lost to Jade and the West
siblings played one more game.

Tori took the opportunity to be her helpful self and went into the kitchen to see if Mrs. West
needed a hand with lunch.

"Thank you Tori.  I don't need much except to carry things out to the patio.  It's such a beautiful
day, I thought we'd take advantage of it.  Have lunch in the sunshine."

"That sounds like a great idea."

"So, you and Jade seem so happy together.  I'm so glad.  When she showed up here yesterday, I
actually was afraid for her.  I thought her dark side had gotten the better of her."

Tori nodded, "She can be a bit much when she gets mad or jealous or…  But, I learned to deal
with her moods long before she was even willing to try to be nice to me.  Now that I've seen the
real her, under all that evil Gothness, I know she's really a big softie."

Mrs. West laughed and said, "Don't let her hear you say that."

"I'm glad you're okay with us.  I was so scared and sad for Jade when we came out and..."

"Obviously, you know I never had a problem with you two.  Her father though…  Jade not only
got his thick, lustrous hair but his temper too.  But she seems to have kept it from turning
violent."

"Did…did he get violent?"

"Not with the kids.  Never with the kids.  Not beyond a spanking or two when they were little
but…  My black eye?" She nodded then added, "There were a couple of times when he was
really stressed out but that was the first time I had visible evidence.

"He wasn't an evil or mean man normally.  When we met, Don was the sweetest, most thoughtful
person I ever met.  Even more than his sister Michelle.  When he took over Westco from his
father, a man I really adored…"

"Jade mentioned him too.  She loved him too.  I'm sorry I never got to meet him," Tori
interjected.

"Bill West was a beautiful human being.  He took care of business, turning his small electronics
firm in Minneapolis into a major player in the industry, but he never lost sight of his family and
his employees.  When he decided to move everything to Southern California - this was before
anyone ever heard of Silicon Valley up north - he was incredibly generous to the workers who
didn't want to relocate.

"He was the same for anyone here who joined the company.  Stock benefits and great health
care when other companies were cutting back on that kind of thing.

"When Bill retired, he spent his last almost twenty years being the loving family patriarch.  I
jokingly called him Lorne after Lorne Green on 'Bonanza'."

"I love that show.  And 'Rawhide', 'Maverick'…  Oh, and "The Rebel' too."

Mrs. West looked at the girl quizzically, "How old are you?"

"I'm actually a few months younger than Jade," Tori laughed.  "I just love old TV and radio and
movies…  Anyway, back to…"

"Yeah, well, when my husband took over, Don became obsessed with the business.  Family took
a back seat to work.  Everything took a back seat to his work.  A lot of the employee benefits his
father fostered were cancelled.  He did nothing illegal but it just wasn't the same as it was under
Lorne.

"My father-in-law would try to talk to him and get him to slow down and take it easy, enjoy life,
that kind of thing but Don ignored the advice.  Same with Michelle, but with her, he actually
shouted and berated her.

"To him, teaching, like the arts, aren't respectable careers.  While he didn't say it specifically
about Michelle or Jade, he did say artists, historians and the like were basically whores on
society."

Mrs. West took a minute, then went on.  "When Michelle came out, I was going to back her up
and let him know about my…bisexuality…

"Wow, that's the first time I said it out loud.  It's almost a relief…"

Tori smiled in embarrassment.  "I still haven't said it…"

"I don't think you need to, dear.  Your generation is more open and labels don't seem to matter
as much.  I'm still…old school, if you will, and labels do seem to matter.  Kind of silly but there it
is.

"Anyway, before I could say anything, he just erupted.  A lot like what happened to Jade.  But it
was such a shock to me.  As I opened my mouth to interrupt, Michelle looked at me and shook
her head slightly to keep me quiet."

"Mrs. West, I'm so sorry…"

"It's okay, Tori.  Water under the bridge long ago.  And, please, Tori, call me Judy.  Mrs. West
sounds so formal."

"Okay, Judy."  Tori was thrilled and pumped by this.  She never felt even more grown up, calling
her girlfriend's mother by her first name.

"I think we're just about ready.  Would you get my two young hellions, please?  Then, if you
could take the bag of chips and the basket with the Kaiser rolls…"

"Sure."

Soon, the foursome was arranged around a large, round picnic table.  There was an array of deli-
bought cold cuts and sliced cheeses, regular and spicy mustard, pickles, potato chips and a
small cooler with a variety of soda.

The table was on a large deck.  At the edge of the deck was a medium-sized pool with a
neighboring hot tub - both covered until spring.  Beyond the pools, the yard sloped down the
southern side of the Hollywood Hills.  The LA Basin was laid out before them.

"Wow, it's so clear, you can even see Long Beach in the distance," Tori exclaimed looking south.

"Yes, it's beautiful up here after the rains.  When the air is clear with the smog washed away, the
view is the best anywhere."

Jade pointed to a smudge on the horizon, "Is that Catalina?"

"Could be," Judy replied.  "Your father and I went there once, before you were born."  Judy
glanced at Tori and winked, "Actually, I think it was just about nine months before you were born
and…"

"Eew, Maaa…  Must you go there?"

Tori looked at the towers of downtown LA.  "Must be the few days a year like this that the studios
do those establishing shots of the city.  Like for 'LA Law' or 'Dragnet'."

"'Dragnet'?  What century are you from?"

"The 20th.  Same as you."

"Alright, what decade?"

"Your mom kinda asked me the same thing…"

"Well, how do you know so much about old radio and TV, Vega?"

"My grandfather.  Naturally, he grew up with that stuff.  And we used to listen to…  I can't
remember what radio station here but they used to play old radio shows a lot.  Like Jack Benny -
he's my all-time favorite, Fred Allen, the Bickersons, 'Terry and the Pirates', 'I Love A Mystery',
'Gangbusters', 'The Shadow'…   And, on Halloween, they'd play the old 'War of the Worlds' radio
show Orson Welles did with the Mercury Theater and follow that with 'Lights Out' and 'Inner
Sanctum' episodes.

"Those used to scare me so much…"

"Some things never change, Vega," Jade teased.

"And there was that one Orange County channel had a lot of old TV shows like 'The Jack Benny
Show', 'Burns and Allen', 'Car 54, Where Are You?', 'You Bet Your Life' and a bunch of other
stuff from the '50s and '60s.  We used to watch that a lot.

"Grandpa, Dad and I used to watch reruns of 'The Untouchables', 'The Naked City' and 'Peter
Gunn'.  Dad said he switched back and forth between wanting to be a New York cop and a cool
PI in some jazzy mystery city.  Then he saw 'Dragnet' and 'Adam-12'.  It was the LAPD for him
from then on."

"Okay, okay, Vega.  More than I really wanted to know," Jade said.  But deep inside, she loved
learning the history of the family that took her in when she really needed them.

"Well, you did ask, Jade," her mother interjected.

Totally ignoring the fact that there was another conversation going on, the youngest member of
the quartet piped up, "Jade, are you coming back home?"

"Well…I don't know…"  She looked quickly between the other two women sitting there.

"I miss you."

Jade laughed, "No you don't.  I make your life hell…"

"I still miss you."

Jade caught the alarmed look in Tori's eye.  So did Judy.  Neither said anything and the silence
held for several eternal seconds.

"Um, Mom…?"

"Jade, honey, I love you.  I may not have said it often enough or even shown you that I did.  But
the fact remains you are my daughter and I love you.  I want you to be happy."

Jade was about to say something but Judy held up her hand, "Let me finish, please.  I know you
didn't always have a happy home here.  And I think the memories will still haunt you for a while.
I am sorry that it all worked out this way but it's nothing you did.  I blame myself and your father
for that.

"I also know you are very happy at the Vegas.  I'm sad that I couldn't provide you with that kind
of life.  I'm also mad at myself for letting your father dictate his will in this house."  Judy took a
deep breath and closed her eyes tightly for a moment.   "Sorry, this is not about him, it's about
you.   I want you happy.  If you are with Tori here, and I know that you are, then stay with her."

Jade rose from the table, walked around it and leaned over to hug her mother.  "What's this?
Jadelyn West hugging someone?"

"Quiet Mom, just enjoy the moment," Jade said.  Judy stood and pulled her daughter tightly to
her, tears leaking from her closed eyes as a smile played on her face.  Tori felt herself tear up at
the sight.

When mother and daughter parted, Tori came around the table.  She enfolded the elder West in
her arms and whispered, "Thank you, Judy."

Judy smiled and replied, "Just take care of my little girl."

"Forever.  That's a promise."

Jade stood there, a hand on Tori's back and one on her mother's back.  Then a young voice
chimed up, "Hey, enough with the mush festival!  I wanna play some pool!"

"Okay, wise guy.  Mom, Tori, I have been challenged." Jade started towards the door, "Coming
punk?"

"Yeah!" the boy yelled before racing into the house ahead of his sister.

"I'll be up shortly.  I'm going to help Judy clean up."

"You don't have to, Tori," Judy said.

"Nah, it's okay.  With a sister like Trina, I'm kinda used to it."

Later, Judy and Tori joined the others in the game room and Judy proved to be pretty sharp with
a cue, taking a game each from her son, daughter and new friend.

"Now, lemme show you another game.  Anyone ever play Nine Ball?"

~~~~~

Several hours later, Jade drove home.  "Home…" she whispered.

"Huh?"

"I was just thinking how I'm already thinking of your house as my home."

"Good."  Tori smiled smugly.  "All part of my cunning plan to keep you by my side…"

"Hey, Vega?"

"Yesss…" Tori replied smugly.

"What the hell is that with you calling Mom by her first name?"


The End

  (c) John O'Conner

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