Stuck With Me [Victorious]

Oh, Christmas Tree!

December 20th.

Jade's finally on vacation, and as much as she loves theater, she's really glad that she now has free time to spend with Tori.

Jade and Tori get up early, popping into a Starbucks to grab some breakfast before starting on their road trip.

They're going to get a Christmas tree.

Jade doesn't really want a Christmas tree: it will only bring up memories of every unhappy Christmas of her childhood, all the times her parents yelled at each other, and then the time her dad set the Christmas tree on fire to prove a point. But Tori really wanted a tree, and the second Jade heard that she began planning the route to the closest Christmas tree farm.

It's Tori's first Christmas without her family, and Jade knows that Tori gave that up for her... so if Tori wants a tree, Tori gets a tree.

Honestly, Jade thinks, taking a turn so that they're finally heading out of the city, Tori could probably ask for my heart on a silver platter and I'd be more than willing to kill myself to give it to her.

Which is a dark, twisted thought that isn't at all appropriate for Christmas.

Jade's barely parked the car when Tori's out in the snow, running towards the trees. Jade follows more slowly, shouting for Tori to be careful. If Tori hurts herself, Jade's going to get pissed.

But Tori doesn't slip on any icy patches, and within ten minutes, she's found the perfect tree.

"Jade!" Tori shouts. "Jade, come look at this one!"

Jade does, feigning disinterest but giving the tree a good look. It's a good, symmetrical tree, and it will definitely fit in the apartment. Tori's picked a good one.

Jade's glad that the tree looks nothing like the monstrosity Trina bought years ago, that year they did the Secret Santa thing for Sikowitz.

Jade secretly still feels bad that the only thing she could give Tori was a suggestion for Andre's present. Sure, it had made Tori and Andre happy, but it had ended up being more for Andre than for Tori.

"Hey, your suckfish sister isn't visiting us for Christmas, is she?" Jade asks.

"Trina? No."

"Good," Jade says.

Tori runs back to the car to get the saw, and then the couple spend ten minutes messing around, tugging the saw back and forth between them with exaggerated movements until the tree crashes down between them. Both Jade and Tori burst into laughter.

After a bit of struggling and some help from the son of the farm's owner (who attempts to hit on both Jade and Tori, until Jade cuts his scarf to pieces), they finally get the tree on top of the car and start the drive back to the city.

The heater breaks halfway home. Jade's already offered her coat to Tori on the way there, and Tori looks too comfortably nestled in it to be disturbed, so Jade doesn't bother asking for it back.

Jade's just about resigned herself to a cold drive back home when long, tan fingers entwine with hers. Jade glances sideways to see Tori grinning at her.

"Thanks for bringing me to get a tree, Jade," Tori says.

For some unexplainable reason, Jade blushes and looks back at the road, fingers tightening around Tori's.

All Jade knows is that she's certainly a lot warmer than she was before.

Two oneshots tonight... the rest tomorrow. Hopefully.