A/N: This loosely follows canonical Victorious, set in the future. Cat doesn't speak in non-sequiturs and Trina is a decent human being, more or less. This story contains OCs, flashback(s), and special guest appearances.

For your reading convenience: Singular slash (/) signifies character/POV change between Jade and Tori. Singular period (.) signifies scene change within POV segment.

Inspired by Katie Herzig's song and the story's name sake, "Closest I Get."

Second half of part seven of seven. Epilogue chapter.

Final notes at the bottom.

Disclaimer: No copyright infringement intended.

One year and five months later

;;

Mid-January

She hears the squeal before she sees her sister running towards her direction with arms flailed open and a bright smile on her face.

"Your sister is as lovely as I remember her," Jade quips beside her just as they're making their way towards the terminal exit.

"Be nice," she says, sending Jade a small nudge to the side. Before Jade can respond to her, her sister is excitedly hugging her.

"Oh, Tor. It seems like it's been ages since we've seen each other."

"It's only been what, six months?" she muses when they pull away from each other. From the corner of her eye, she can see Jade offer Gorge a hug.

"That is obviously too long." She offers her sister a kind smile and a pat on her arms before making her way to Gorge.

"Good to see you, Gorge," she says as he welcomes her into his arms and pulls her up, her feet just inches off the ground.

"You too. I hope the fly was well?" he asks after they break apart.

She nods, offers him a smile. "Yep. I slept the whole time."

She's about to ask how things are with him when she follows his line of sight behind her. Wordlessly, she turns around and watches her sister and her girlfriend.

"Jade," Trina says, hands on her hips.

"Trina," Jade replies, her arms crossed.

"I hear you're still teaching children."

"And I hear you're still eating them."

Tori looks on as her girlfriend tilts her head and offers her fakest smile and her sister do the same.

"You would think they hated each other, wouldn't you?" Gorge asks her as he puts his arm around her shoulders. She looks up at him before placing her own arm around his waist and making their way out of the airport. She takes a quick glance behind her where she witnesses them bickering and she can't help laughing to herself.

"Yeah, you'd think."

.

As Tori places a tray full of dirty glasses on the counter, she hears the kitchen door swing open but doesn't bother to check who's come in.

"You don't have to do that, Tor," Trina says, as she reaches the spot beside her with four more wine glasses in her hands.

"It's no big, Trina. Besides, you're pregnant now. You can pretty much order everyone around to do everything."

Trina laughs beside her before playfully punching her sister in the arm. "Just because I'm having a baby doesn't mean that I can be useless. Besides, there's still a party out there. You should be out there."

Tori looks at her sister before taking the glasses out of her hands. "No, you should be the one out there mingling."

She chuckles when her sister scrunches her face and places her head on her shoulder. "But I don't wanna," she hears her sister whine.

"This party was your idea."

"Yeah, but there's like a tiny alien-looking thing in my belly, not a full grown baby. So I don't know why they all insist to touch my stomach."

She chuckles just as she's wiping the tray. "They're just excited for you."

"Are you?"

Tori looks up from her cleaning and stares at her sister who's sporting an intense look about her. She scrunches her face before abandoning the dishes.

"What? Of course I am. This is such a great thing and no one is more excited about this than I am. It's going to be great and you're going to be a great mom and I'll spoil him or her rotten. It's going to be amazing."

"Just make sure you don't eat your young." The sisters turn their attention to the voice behind them, a smirking Jade carrying two stacks of saucers.

"I can always count on you to ruin a good moment," Trina says, but there's a smile on her face.

"It's a talent, what can I say." Jade places the dishes in the sink and leans on the counter with her hip. "Since we're spoiling children rotten, I saw this great collector's piece of scissors on the internet. It'll be a great present, you know, to start them young. What do you say, Trina?"

Horrified, Trina stares at her sister before placing her attention back at Jade. "You're not allowed to give this child any toy that has sharp edges. Tori, promise me right now."

Tori shakes her head. "No one is going to give your child any scissors or knives or pickaxes or anything like that. So you don't have to worry about it, okay?" Seemingly unconvinced, Trina walks out of her own kitchen eyeing Jade with scrutiny. When she sees the door swing closed, she turns to Jade.

"Why would you tell her you'd give her child sharp things?"

Jade shrugs, an amused smile on her face. "Why not? I was holding scissors when I was young and I turned out fine."

She scoffs playfully before going back to arranging the dishes. "That one's up for debate, but you're not giving our child scissors until she's old enough to drive."

She pauses her cleaning when she realizes what she's said. She jerks her head up and tries to gauge Jade's reaction. She's ready to take her words back but Jade only offers her a small kiss before walking back to the living room. She panics when Jade doesn't say anything. She's ready to speak up, to defend herself, when Jade stops at the door.

"Then I'll just teach our child to drive at the age of five."

.

Tori doesn't get a chance to fall quickly to sleep as Jade so she spends her time just staring at the drawn curtains on the other side of the room. After exhausting her eyes on the curtains, she turns herself around to face her sleeping girlfriend.

She hadn't expected Jade to respond so candidly, least of all about children. But she thinks that they've both grown to be better people than they were before. She can't help but remind herself that this is it, that Jade is it. Jade is who she wants to be with for the rest of her life, who she wants to raise children with, who she wants to grow old with. She's all that Tori ever needs in her life.

Tori lets her finger trace the lines of Jade's peaceful face. When she's done, she moves herself closer until their noses are almost touching.

"You're going to be the best mother to our children," she whispers.

/

She's up at an ungodly hour the next morning. She chalks it up to the change of scenery; she's always had trouble sleeping properly in a place that's not hers. So she finds herself making a pot of coffee in Trina and Gorge's house before the sun has decided to show itself.

It's not until she's in the middle of making hers that she hears scuffling somewhere behind her.

"Two sugars and milk, please."

She turns around to witness the older Vega sister yawning into her hand before situating herself on the breakfast table. Silent, she dutifully follows Trina's directions. When she's finished with both of their cups, she carefully places the on the table. Trina's head is laying on its side on the tabletop.

"I would have thought with all that apple juice you were drinking last night that you'd still be passed out until noon."

Jade watches with an amused smile as Trina snaps her head up, surprise written all over her face.

"I thought you were Tori."

"Would you have taken back the 'please' if you knew it was me?" she asks when she's taken a seat across from Trina.

Trina, for her part, laughs a little before taking a sip of her coffee. "Probably."

They stay in relative silence, the chill of the early morning still lingering.

"Are you sure your delicate shoulders can handle childcare?" she asks without once looking at the woman across from her. She tries not to smile when she hears Trina laugh aloud, almost spitting her coffee out.

"I think I can handle it."

She nods before taking another sip of her coffee. The silence drapes over them again and Jade feels oddly comforted. The two of them were never good with holding conversations, especially since she thinks that Trina still holds a small grudge against her for hurting Tori. She can respect that and what they have now is pretty good. She thinks that with all the history between them, this is as good as it gets.

"You know, Jade, I see a lot of myself in you."

"Oh, gross," she says immediately, but the grin on her face betrays the sincerity of her words.

"You say that, but we're a lot alike."

"You're ruining my coffee," she says, but Trina doesn't seem to mind.

"Whether you believe me or not, there's a lot of similar things about us."

"Oh yeah? Like what?"

"For starters, we're both pretty stubborn. And we like to keep people away. You just happen to do it with your personality and I did it because you couldn't get hurt if you didn't stay with the same person for too long."

"Tori likes to call that time of your life the 'Lost Years'," she adds.

Trina extends her arm and places a hand on top of hers; her hand trapped between Trina and the mug. "We're also the two people that Tori loves more than anything else in this world."

"What's your point, Trina?"

She wants to move her hand, but she's surprised to find that Trina has enough strength to keep her still. "My point is that she didn't have a choice about me being in her life; but she had one with you."

"I don't underst-" She tries to pull her hand away, but Trina pulls her back.

"If I have to, I will put out a hit on your head. Don't make me put a hit out on your head."

She doesn't look away from Trina's staring, she matches it with one of her own. Jade wants to believe that she's kidding, but there's an intensity about her she's never seen before. When she tugs for her hand back, Trina lets it go before leaning back on her chair and sipping her coffee as if the last minute hadn't happened.

She jerks her head when she hears the kitchen door swing open.

"I didn't think I'd find the two of you already up," Tori says rubbing her eyes and heading towards the coffee pot.

"Gorge was called in about thirty minutes ago."

"I just woke up early."

Tori kisses her on the cheek before occupying the open spot beside her and placing a hand on her leg. Out of habit, she puts her hand on top of it. She tries not to think too much about how Trina is watching their every move, her every move.

.

"Gorge's sad that he couldn't send you two off today," Trina says as they pull their suitcases from the trunk of the car.

"It's all right. We'll see you two really soon anyway."

She takes a step back when she sees the sisters say their goodbyes. She watches on as they hug each other tightly, kisses on each cheek.

"Make sure you call me when you two get home, all right?"

Jade steps forward just as Tori steps back. "God, you sound like an annoying mom already," she says. Tori playfully pushes her and Trina swats her in the arm.

"You know what will be more annoying?" she asks just as she extends her arms out expectantly. Jade starts to back away, raising her arms in defense.

"Oh no, no, no. You are not hugging me."

She's ambushed into a hug when Tori pushes her forward into Trina's arms. Awkwardly, she pats Trina in the back and hears Tori cooing in the background, clearly amused.

When she pulls away, Trina doesn't let go, looks at her as intently as the morning before. Jade's jaw clenches and she bites her lip. When Tori beckons for her, Trina lets her go. She takes a step back and away. As Tori busies herself with a last minute check of their things, Jade takes the opportunity to tap Trina on the arm.

"I won't."

/

When they've gotten themselves situated in their seats, Jade takes Tori's hand and holds it. When she wakes up about an hour or so later, she finds that their hands are still tangled together.

Jade doesn't let go of her the whole plane ride home.

/

Mid- March

Heather. You really should have a better voicemail message than 'Yo, this is Heather but I'm not around.' Anyway, that's not why I called. I called because the jewelers finally called me and they tell me they have it. All right, call me back. And please change your voicemail message. Love you, bye!

.

"Are you gonna tell your sister?" Heather asks as she plays with the box of tissues from Tori's desk in the air.

"No. I think I'll just surprise her when she and Gorge come to visit in April," she replies as she types out an e-mail. She pauses her work and turns to her friend. "You don't think she'll get mad, will you?"

"I don't know. What I do know is that she's hormonal being pregnant."

Tori bites her lip. "No. This isn't about my sister, this is about me."

"Right on, sister." Heather continues her playing while Tori resumes her work. She pauses again not a couple of seconds later. Heather stops her playing and looks at her. "What is it now?"

"What if she says no? Oh my god what if Jade says no?!"

"She's not going to say no."

"How do you know?" At this point Tori rises from her seat and starts pacing in her office. Heather gets up from her own spot and barricades the area that Tori's pacing in.

"Because she's not that stupid. And if she is, I'll beat her up until she does say 'Yes'."

Tori's jaw drops, appalled. "You can't threaten her to marry me!"

Heather shrugs. "I just need a shotgun and a thick Southern accent and I can make it happen."

She doesn't hesitate hitting Heather in the arm, but Heather doesn't hesitate in hitting her back.

"Look, I just know. This girl has literally gone through hell and back with her own damn self to get to you. She'll say yes."

Heather forces her to breathe deeply. Only when she calms down does Heather let her go. She pulls the box out of her pockets and stares at it.

"You're right."

/

Jade is on Tori's couch busy editing her script on her laptop and Tori is reading through applications of possible performers on the armchair. It's just another normal Sunday for the two of them; almost routine. When she was younger, she'd have done anything to break out of the monotony. But spending her days with Tori like this doesn't feel like torture; if anything, the complete opposite.

As she's skimming through a scene, she feels eyes on her.

"I know you think it's endearing to stare at me like that, but it's creepy," she says without looking up from her computer, not once paying Tori any mind.

"Yeah, but you like it."

Jade scoffs, shaking her head, before resuming her typing.

"Jade?"

"Tori."

Tori clears her throat. "Do you want to marry me?"

Jade glances at her for a second before turning back to her computer. "Sure."

"Really?"

She stops her work and looks at Tori who's also stuck holding a piece of paper in the air; there is shock written all over her face. She shrugs before turning her attention back to her script.

"Yeah, why not?" she adds after she rewrites a sentence. She tries not to show her surprise when she realizes that Tori has somehow magically appeared beside her.

"'Yeah, why not?' You're going to marry me because yeah, why not?"

She's not sure why Tori's getting riled up, but she thinks this is worth watching for the entertainment value. "Yeah. Why not."

"Some answer." Jade can almost see Tori shaking her head from the corner of her eye.

"Well are you proposing to me?" Jade takes her glasses off her face and turns to her girlfriend to get a better look at her. She stays silent as she watches Tori stutter in front of her.

"I-I was just asking a question."

Jade smirks before picking her computer back up and placing it on her lap. "My official answer is: Yeah, why not."

"That doesn't sound very enthusiastic," Tori says not moving from her spot beside Jade.

"Says the woman who pops the question like she's asking me if I want sesame chicken for dinner. At least I didn't say no."

She lets Tori shove her to the side as she lets out a small laugh. "You're a jerk, you know that?"

"Yeah, and you're the idiot who wants to marry this jerk. So I guess we all have our shortcomings."

Tori places a hand on her arm and she freezes in her spot, looks Tori in the eyes. "No, but Jade."

"What?"

Tori pulls out a ring from her pocket.

"Oh my god. What kind of proposal is this, Tori?" she asks, confusion running through her mind. She starts sputtering out incoherent words when she thought that this was just the two of them goofing around. Suddenly, Tori puts her hand on her mouth immediately stopping the outpour of her words.

"Jade. Shut up and listen to me. Please. I'm nervous enough as it is."

She doesn't move from her spot realizing the gravity of the situation.

"You've put me through so much hell-"

"Are you sure you want to marry me?" Jade interrupts, pulling Tori's hand from her mouth and wondering who in their right mind would start a marriage proposal like that. Tori puts her hand back in place and Jade's tempted to bite her fingers.

"You've put me through so much hell," Tori repeats slowly, her eyes trained on Jade's. "But I wouldn't trade any of it because it led us here, where we're together. We've danced around each other for years and even when we were going through all that hell, I just couldn't deny the fact that I never stopped loving you. This relationship isn't the easiest, but it's the most rewarding. I don't expect the rest of our lives to be any different. But I've loved you since I was seventeen, I'll love you until I'm seven hundred. "

"Tori…" she says when she finds that she's holding Tori's hand in both of hers.

Tearfully, her girlfriend continues. "Do you remember what you said to me when we got dinner after the opening night of your play?"

"What, it was a great play?" she asks, her mind blanking from anything but the moment that's transpiring in front of her.

Tori laughs, somehow being able to keep herself together. "You said, 'Love me until you don't, love me until you can't.' I just don't think that it's possible to stop."

Jade can't hide the smile or the impending tears from her eyes.

"Jade, would you like to spend the rest of your life with me?"

She lunges forward and presses her lips on Tori's, pulling her closer. She holds Tori's head in her hands just as she feels Tori's arms snake around her.

"Tori, I couldn't stay away if I tried," she says when they break apart.

"Is that a yes?" Jade nods her head and pulls Tori back for another kiss. When she pulls away for air, she lets their foreheads rest on each other. Silence overcomes them, words having escaped from their lips only to be replaced by each other.

/

When she turns to the other side of her bed, she expects a warm body beside her. Instead she finds her girlfriend – now fiancée – staring out of the window of her bedroom. She checks her phone for the time, it's 4:34, before rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. For all the moving and rustling that she's making, Jade doesn't so much as turn her head to the noise.

Tori gathers a blanket from the foot of the bed and drapes it around her as she makes it around her bed. It's only when she gets behind Jade that Jade makes any motion to acknowledge her presence. Clutching the blanket in her fingers, she worms her arms around Jade's abdomen, resting her head on her shoulder. Jade leans back, her hands on top of Tori's.

They stand together, silent, looking out onto the darkness.

Tori presses her lips on Jade's shoulder before speaking softly.

"What are you thinking about?"

Jade takes her time, keeps silent for a time. Tori's gotten used to waiting, knowing that Jade doesn't rush herself in moments like this. While she rushes through her words to cover all of her feelings and thoughts, Jade slows the pace, almost to a halt.

Finally, after patiently waiting, Jade turns her body around but still staying inside Tori's hold.

"What do you think about moving in? Officially?"

Tori smiles. She kisses the top of Jade's shoulder before kissing her on the lips. When she breaks away, she dons a pretty impressive smirk that rivals that of Jade.

"Yeah, why not."

"Jerk," Jade says before making her way out of Tori's grasp and walking back to bed. Tori doesn't stop laughing until she's back on her side of the bed, pulling Jade closer to her.

/

Mid-April

Pipsqueak, it's me. Anyway, Tori said that you, Andre and Kelly are good to go for the show at the end of the month. It's also perfect timing to come visit since you guys decided to go on a cruise for Christmas. But there's some stuff you might be excited to hear when you get here. But I won't spoil the surprise because I was told I wasn't allowed. Okay, call me back or don't. Whatever. Bye.

/

Hey, Sis. I'm excited for you and Gorge to come and visit at the end of the month. Lots of new fun things are happening around here, so your time to visit is perfect. Anyway, I know you're busy nursery shopping for Miss Charlotte Louise, but just call me back sometime. All right, love you! Bye.

.

Late April

"Tor, did you go shopping at a thrift store?" Trina asks as she enters her sister's apartment, her hands on her stomach.

"I will thrift store your face," Jade mutters under breath. Tori nudges her in the stomach and warns her to 'Be nice'. Jade glares at her before leading Gorge to carry the bags in the guest bedroom.

When Gorge and Jade emerge from the guest bedroom, Tori waves her down to join her on the couch.

"Actually, no," Tori starts, holding Jade's hand and looking at her for support. "Jade and I are moving in together."

"Insult my stuff again, I'm not afraid to punch a pregnant woman," Jade quickly adds, sitting on the edge of the couch. Tori doesn't bother reprimanding her, just shakes her head.

Gorge and Trina's earlier confused expression transforms to those of delight.

"About time," Gorge says. "Your sister has been betting me that you two will not move in together until August. But I was believing of your love and I knew you two would share a home sooner rather than later." Gorge rises from his spot from the armchair and holds his arms open. "Congratulations, you two. And now, I am one hundred dollar richer thanks to your sister."

After Tori gives his brother-in-law a hug, she peeks from behind him and finds a pouting sister.

"Sorry you lost the hundred bucks," she offers, moving to sit beside her sister, a gentle pat on her sister's leg.

"I'm not. Dinner and drinks are on Gorge," Jade says, high fiving the man.

"That's all right," Trina says, pretending to inspect her nails. "I'm holding out hope that you're the one to get pregnant first." Trina pulls her forward and whispers in her ear. "Don't let me down, Tor."

.

"Oh, it's just you," she says, when she opens the door for Heather and Theresa.

Heather's jaw drops, completely insulted. "It's just me? You better be glad I even come to visit your ass all the way over here."

Tori sighs, and ushers her friend in. "I'm sorry. But you're like the fifth group I opened the door for."

"Fifth?" Heather asks until her eyes land in the crowd gathering in the living room. "What the hell?"

"It's the old school gang, Trina and Gorge, Laura and Palmer from work, Eve and Justus, and now you two."

"The price you pay for getting engaged," Heather whispers, leaning forward conspiratorially. Tori smiles before closing the door and heading over to the middle of the crowd.

"Hey, everyone," she starts, forcing the chatter around the room to cease. "Jade and I are all really excited that all of you could be here today, celebrating Jade and I finally moving in."

"No we're not," Jade quips, shaking her head, but the smile on her face betrays her.

"After moving around too much over the last three years, I'm just really glad that she's doing the moving for once."

"But the real reason that you're all gathered here today is because we have some really exciting news outside of finally moving in together," Jade says.

"You got Tori pregnant!" Trina suggests from the couch.

Tori and Jade look at one another before directing their attention at the pregnant woman and shaking their head with a resolute 'No'. Trina balls her fists, curses under her breath.

"No. No one's pregnant except for the balloon whale on the couch," Jade offers, a smirk on her face. "No, the news is that Tori somehow thought it was a good idea to marry me."

Jade extends her left hand to the excitement of everyone in the room.

"But Jade somehow thought it was an even better idea to say yes!"

Soon, the apartment breaks into loud cheering and squeals of excitement. Tori and Jade end up separating into the crowd, accepting the congratulatory remarks that everyone is offering them. At one point amidst all of the hugging and requests to see the ring, Tori catches Jade's eye.

Jade breaks into a smile that Tori still hasn't gotten used to.

.

After about twenty minutes, the loud buzz of excitement settles into softer chatter amongst their friends and family.

Tori turns to her sister after watching her fiancée across the room laughing at whatever Andre and Robbie are saying.

"I can't believe you kept this a secret from me."

Tori smiles apologetically, places a hand on Trina's. "Sorry. But if we'd told you over the phone, you'd have been upset that you weren't around."

Her sister nonetheless pouts. "That's beside the point."

Tori looks out onto the crowd gathered in her – their apartment – and it warms her heart to see so many people that she loves, celebrate this moment with her.

"Tor," Trina says.

"Yeah?"

"This is the only time you'll ever accept it with a smile on your face, but I told you so."

Her smile widens, admits that Trina's been right about her all along. She was and is in love with Jade.

/

Jade taps a glass to get everyone's attention.

"Now that we've all adorned this precious, precious rock on my finger, I'm getting hungry. So Tori and I reserved a room at Matilda's for lunch. So you people get out of our apartment and head over there. Gorge says he'll pay for the drinks!"

The crowd cheers before beginning to slowly file out of the room.

Jade lingers by the kitchen counter and watches as her friends and family start to make their way out of the door. She smiles when she hears Cat and Kelly talking.

"Joan is going to get super rich from us alone!" Cat exclaims.

Tori sidles up beside her with a kiss on her cheek.

"That worked out pretty well, didn't it?" Tori asks just as they make their way to the door.

"Yeah," she replies as she's locking up the door, the new key feeling good in her hands.

Tori's making her way towards the stairs when Jade calls for her.

"Tori, wait."

She knows the answer to her own question, but it doesn't relieve the nervousness in her system. Biting her lip, she waits until Tori walks back to her as she seems incapable of moving herself. She grips her keys in her hands.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Everything's great."

"So what's up?"

Jade takes a deep breath and pulls Tori closer, holding Tori's hands with her hands, keys and all.

"Beck once told me that I really couldn't do much better than you."

"Jade?"

"Just hear me out real quick." Tori nods, focuses her attention at her. "I'm good at a lot of things. I'm talented and beautiful and smart. And I know that, but a lot of people can't see that. I don't know why but obviously it's their problem and not mine."

Jade gains the confidence to keep going when she sees Tori smile up at her.

"But you somehow see what I see about myself. And you push me to be better. There have never been very many people in my corner, but even when I don't deserve it and especially when I don't deserve it, you've stuck around. You've stuck around and kept me honest."

She temporarily lets go of Tori's hand to bring her keys up revealing a ring hooked onto her karabiner.

"Oh my god, are you doing what I think you're doing?" Tori asks, her hands shaking.

"Sorry it's not in a box, but I didn't have room in my pocket for one."

"I don't care, it's gorgeous!" Jade unhooks the ring and pushes it on Tori's finger.

"I know I've already agreed to marry you, but I think you of all people deserve to be proposed to. What do you say?"

"Yes!"

Tori lunges forward and presses their lips together. Jade's arms instinctively wraps around Tori. She would have deepened the kiss if it wasn't for someone clearing their throat.

"Ladies," Heather begins, "there is a pregnant woman obnoxiously honking the horn at you to hurry up."

Tori laughs; Jade can't help but roll her eyes. "You guys go ahead. We'll just drive by ourselves."

"I thought we were riding with them?"

Jade shakes her head. "No way. I am not sitting in a car with your pregnant sister for half an hour. That's not going to happen."

Heather waves them off, amusement in her face. "Just keep it in your pants until after we have lunch." Their friend starts making her way down the stairs and the two of them follow suit, hand in hand.

"I want to ship your sister to Russia," Jade says as they take their time making their way down the stairs. "Gorge and the baby can stay."

Tori playfully pushes her to the side when they get to the bottom landing. "No. Then she'll call me all the time complaining about it being too cold."

"Egypt."

"Too hot."

"Serbia."

"No hair salons."

"North Korea."

"We're not sending her anywhere, Jade."

"That is too, too bad."

Jade keeps in mind that North Korea is still a possibility.

"Suck it up, Jade. This is the life you've chosen." Tori starts to pull away from her to get to the passenger seat, but she surprises the both of them when she keeps her hold tugging Tori back into her arms, their faces only inches apart.

"And what kind of life is that?"

"A good one?" Tori offers, shrugging, before puckering up for a chaste kiss. Jade leans forward, basking in the moment.

"A good one."

Eventually they break apart and get in the car. As they turn into the street headed to the restaurant with their friends and family, Tori starts to sing along to the song on the radio. With their hands intertwined atop the middle console she joins in singing. She's never been this happy until now.

A/N: Thank you, everyone! We're finally at the end of this ridiculous story. It's safe to say that you all can stop waiting for me to update. I'm just glad that we set this out to be seven parts and not more than that. Or else I'd have disappointed you all greatly. Special thanks to the handful or so people I continually consulted about the progression of the story. I'm sure you all have ideas of how this story could have or should have played out. Just to set the record straight, even though this is about Jade and Tori, I'd always considered this story more about Jade than anything else.

This story ended, arguably, on a particularly fluffy note. But I'd always had that in mind even though I got carried away with all of the angst and all of the drama. I would appreciate it immensely if you all dropped by to let me know of your thoughts, any questions you may have, etc. As for writing any other Jori story, I don't think I'll be doing that anytime soon. Sorry.

EDIT: PDF and fanmix are now posted on my profile for those interested. The links will also be posted up on the tumblr chapter posts (just add slash (/) and jori).

Once again, thanks for sticking around.