Violated

Chapter 3 - Silver Linings

Jade, still wearing the light green surgical gown issued to her for the delivery, froze at the door leading out of the maternity ward to the waiting room. Her body shivered and she was suddenly overcome by emotion at what she had just witnessed. The birth of a beautiful little girl.

Jade smiled ironically to herself. She always scoffed at 'the miracle of birth'. To her, birth, death and everything in between were just nature at work. Nothing miraculous about it. Now, seeing Tori's baby, she felt the awe of a new parent.

New parent! Yeah, right! she thought, gaining back some of her Jade West-ness. Taking a deep breath and steeling her face, she stepped out to see the extended family Tori Vega had amassed.

Right by the doors were David and Holly Vega, with Trina just behind them. To the other side were her parents and her kid brother. Beyond she saw Cat, Beck and Andre.

"The mother and baby are both fine," Jade said. "Tori had a girl. A...beautiful..." Jade choked back a sob as she smiled widely with tears forming. With hitches in her breath, she managed to say, "She's a b-beautiful...little...g-girl. J-just like her...mother!"

Cheryl West wrapped her arms around her daughter and kissed her cheek. Her father also hugged her and patted her back while her brother grabbed her hand and squeezed it happily. All the Wests were beaming.

The elder Vegas had wrapped themselves in each other's arms. Holly and David were both crying unabashedly.

Cat grabbed Beck and hugged him fiercely as she yelled and cried and laughed at the same time. Andre, tears streaming down his cheeks, stood there for a lone moment before Trina hugged him, her face shining with tears.

When Cheryl released her daughter, Holly pulled Jade into a hug, kissing her cheek. "Thank you Jade. For everything. You've been so..."

As her voice faltered again, David and Trina joined in the group hug.

Then Jade went to her friends and the four of them hugged each other, looking more like a football huddle than a group hug. Then Jade said, "Never speak of my...outburst again!"

They all laughed until they saw the look in her eyes. Then, the new Jade West reemerged and laughed with them.

"But never mention it to anyone..."

The nurse came out and invited David and Holly in to see the mother and baby. Trina started to whine, "What about me?"

Jade clamped her hand over the girl's mouth and said, "Patience. Learn patience."

Eventually, all of the group, two at a time, were allowed in to see the new family.

Before the teens were admitted, Jade pulled Cat aside. "You got your purse?"

"Huh?" Cat looked confused, but it was a common expression for her.

"Your purse. Do. You. Have. It?"

"Yeah, it's over there," Cat waved dismissively, eager to see the newest Vega.

"I'm putting something in there. I want you to take it and give it to me later," Jade explained, showing just a bit of the instrument to her old friend.

"Okay, what is it?"

"The scissors I used to cut the umbilical cord. I don't have anything with me to stash them in and I wanna keep these."

"Ew... Are they...gross?"

With a proud gleam in her eye, Jade said, "No, they're beautiful."

Jade was able to stay the night with Tori and her new daughter. Both slept most of the time but the baby woke up hungry and Tori started to breast feed her. Jade tried not to look but she found her eyes drawn to the suckling baby. It wasn't prurient interest but the beauty of a new mother feeding her daughter.