Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

A/N: This is probably the most far out story I have ever written. Okay,  Nightmare on Elm Street  meets  Victorious . This was a long time coming for me. After my past experiences with listing crossovers, I decided to avoid that and just have it in the  Victorious  section. I want as many people to find it as possible because I am really proud of the ideas I have in this one. Trust me, you're gonna LOVE this one. Just give it a chance.

So, the setting is Los Angeles and our main protagonists are the  Victorious  gang, naturally.

Now, with me saying that, here is where the  Nightmare  universe is at. The events of  Freddy's Dead  are where things were left off. It's important because those characters are in this story. BTW, if you haven't seen  Freddy's Dead,  that's okay. I reference it enough times for you to be able to keep track.

As always, please leave your comments.

I  live off of your reviews. They are the source of my inspiration.

;-)

And so, our story begins….

Maggie Burroughs was having a difficult time seeing her way in the rain. She had been driving all night coming back from a child psychology seminar in Peoria. All flights in this part of the Midwest were grounded because of the nasty storm, so Maggie was stuck driving. And the long hours of darkness coupled with no radio because her speakers were busted made it a struggle to stay alert.

The seminar itself was very interesting, despite her own exhaustion from traveling. There were several speakers at the event, held at the big community center, but the most prominent orator was Dr. Frank Worthington. Maggie met up with him after the people began to disperse and she had his recent bestseller in tow. The older psychologist smiled and talked with her for ten minutes. Upon being asked her name, Maggie almost had a Freudian slip. For a second, she was going to say Katherine.

Katherine Kruger.

That was the name on her birth certificate. Before the orphanage took her. Before her father died. Before everybody seemed to die all around her. Given the heinous nature of his crimes, the only daughter of Fred Kruger, was deftly renamed and place into the system. Low and behold, she was adopted and began a new life living with a kindly couple: the Burroughs. They were unable to have children of their own so they leapt at the chance to give this bright-eyed, though sad, brunette a good home.

She had a good home once. Katherine thought everything was fine with her mother and father. They both worked in the Springwood school system. She was a teacher and he was the janitor.

Katherine was an extroverted, jovial sort as a child so she acquired quite a lot of friends. It made sense that the neighborhood all knew her dad, Fred Kruger. And unfortunately, that created a web of trust. A trust that Mr. Kruger would exploit for years.

When nobody else was around, Katherine's father would do terrible things to her friends. He would threaten them not to tell anybody or he would kill them and their parents and brothers and sisters. He would roam the halls of Springwood Elementary, sweeping or taking out the trash, keeping a close eye on the kids when they looked like they were about to talk to one of their teachers or the principal. He made damn sure that they all knew he was close by, watching. And listening.

As unbelievable as it sounded, his urges became more grotesque than child molestation. He wanted to destroy them completely. It became about blood lust. With his tools and most of all: privacy; Kruger built crude but effective instruments of torture and murder. He would stake out houses and schools and find just the right victims. At first he went for sport further away from suburbia, in the inner city.

He would call those children his "practice."

The newspapers were calling him the Springwood Slasher and every parent was terrified of this unknown killer. A lot of houses were locking their doors and windows for the first time.

Once he was confident with his technique and selected the ideal torture chamber: an old boiler room; Kruger began to hunt for game closer to home. Katherine started to notice a kid here and there no longer seen at school. She was very little, so naturally such things were kept from her. To her, it was like they simply vanished.

Then one day, she stumbled upon her father's secret workshop in the basement. Hanging on the walls were newspaper clippings of the child murderer, Polaroids of his victims, and various versions of a glove with blades welded onto the fingertips. She wasn't the only one who found out his dark secret. Katherine saw her mother in the very last few seconds of her life, witnessing her father strangling her. When he saw his daughter crying and calling to her mommy, Kruger walked over and knelt down to her level in a very fatherly way.

He smiled and said, "Mommy just had to take her medicine for snooping in Daddy's special work." He then leaned in closer to the teary-eyes girl. "But you won't tell, will you?"

Katherine shook her head and chocked out, "I won't tell."

That was the first and last lie she ever told her father.

Within a day, police seized Fred Kruger and raided his house. They found evidence there and in the boiler room. The D.A. had enough to nail his ass to the wall. But none of it was admissible. The police in charge of the search didn't fill out the search warrant properly. Without enough sufficient evidence and a child too distraught to be a witness, Kruger was released.

But it didn't stop there. An angry mob of parents, mostly compiled of couples who lost their children, stormed the streets. Once they located Kruger, they trapped him in an inferno. The purging fire didn't leave anything behind.

Fred Kruger was dead. The Springwood Slasher was no more. But little did the denizens of Springwood know, they created something far worse.

Now, Freddy attacked their children where he couldn't protect them: their dreams. The country couldn't understand the strange epidemic in this humble Ohio town. Kids and teenagers were dropping like flies in (oftentimes) bizarre murders and suicides. It got so bad that many have moved away.

They were the lucky ones. Survivors were a rare breed in Springwood.

But the bloodshed did stop. For nearly twenty years, there was silence. New couples were feeling confident to have children again. Even the older folks couldn't believe the tremendous feeling of safety that hadn't been around since the boomer generation. Maggie smiled a knowing smile for two reasons. Unwanted kids were becoming less and less frequent at the youth recovery shelter miles outside Springwood. Sure, there would be the occasional runaway but the place wasn't overstuffed like it once was. That meant more locals were adopting and being a child whose life was saved from adoption herself, it made her happy.

There was another reason for her being contented. Maggie saw Freddy die. In fact, she killed him with her own hands (ironically with his signature glove). She jammed a pipe bomb in his wounds and the thing went off, obliterating him for good. There were feelings on uneasiness following the battle in the evidence locker at the shelter. She found it still difficult to sleep. But Maggie attributed this to the psychological baggage of, you know, offing your own father.

He was a bastard but it still wasn't something a well-adjusted person like Maggie could just shrug off.

She passed by a sign for Muncie, Indiana. Maggie let out a loud groan. She was only halfway there. The never-ending lonely black road and the pitter-patter of raindrops on the car were hypnotic. She found herself nodding off. Her head began to slink to the side, her hands loosening their grip on the steering wheel.

Suddenly, she was shocked awake by what felt like a hundred tiny speed bumps. Maggie quickly realized she was dangerously close to running herself off the road. Many years ago, highway officials installed these indentations on the sides to keep drivers alert. Their target was truckers who had the tendency to veer off with those long hours. Legally speaking, a truck driver has only so many hours in the day to drive. But if he hadn't gotten enough sleep, that whole measure in rendered moot.

Maggie's knuckles whitened as her grip tightened on the wheel. She breathed a strong sigh of relief, slamming her head on the back of the chair swearing at herself.

"Get it together," she told herself. "You need to stay awake."

If it weren't raining, Maggie would have simply opened the window and taken advantage of the chilly night wind.

Her mind blanked when she felt a cataclysmic bump and heard the worst thing you could hear in the middle of nowhere: A flat tire.

"Perfect," she muttered, slamming the steering wheel.

Maggie got out of the car and walked over to her truck. Opening the lid, she exhaled and grinned. She remembered to fill up the spare. She used her strength to pull out the replacement and it bounced on the wet asphalt, rolled a little and toppled over. Maggie shrugged and dug through her mess of a trunk for the jack.

There was so much junk in this thing, it was remarkable that a tire could even fit. She shifted more and more things around until her eyes caught something shiny with a blue finish. Maggie reached for it but the damn thing was stuck. She pulled on it more and more. No luck. Her eyes widened when the pile of stuff gave way and she felt herself being pulled.

Her hand vanished into the void, her arm following suit. Maggie held onto the car, panic strewn across her face. As she began to make progress and pull herself out, steam rose from the gaping maw. Maggie screamed and fell onto the ground, the jack landing beside her.

She looked around, her heart sinking at the realization to what was going on. Shrill metal scraping made her jump but she tried to maintain her face. The last thing she wanted to show was her fear.

"We killed you!" she shouted. "I killed you myself!" She looked around, wondering where he was. Maggie knew her father was watching.

"Show yourself!" she demanded.

The rain fell silent and a voice from her distant past echoed through the darkness. It was her father's voice but raspy and raw. She never understood why he looked and sounded as he did when set ablaze. Maybe that was his true form, no longer able to hide behind a sweet voice and a trusting smile.

"Goodbye…sweetheart…"

Blazing lights obscured Maggie's vision. She shielded her eyes and in a split second could make out a speeding 18-wheeler.

A passing highway patrolman was making his rounds when he spotted the car in a ditch. The cop hit the brakes and ran to investigate the accident. He shined his light and expected to see the limp body of a driver; probably still alive.

When he saw was a mangled mess of blood and bones.

After puking his guts out for five minutes, the patrolman called it in.

Tori woke up with a start, screaming.

"You okay, babe?" Jade rolled over, still half asleep.

"Oh, god" Tori ran her fingers through her hair. "Just a dream."

"Okay," Jade responded and went back to her loud open mouth breathing.

Tori chuckled at the sound and flopped her head back down. Suddenly, a slew of feathers floated around her face. Confused, she looked at her pillow and saw it was slashed.

She let out a huff. "Jade, wake up."

After getting no response, she poked her dark-haired girlfriend.

The pale girl sat up, rubbing her eyes. "What? WHAT?"

"I think you stabbed my pillow with your scissors in your sleep."

"Tori," she sighed. "I haven't slept with my scissors since Sophomore year."

Tori brandished the ripped pillow. "Then explain this!"

Jade gave the situation one bloodshot eye's attention. "I dunno," she shrugged. "Maybe you did it."

"How? I was dreaming."

"Must have been some dream, Vega."

Tori looked closely at the straight, clean cut. "Yeah…some dream."

Chapter Text

A/N: Glad to see so many people reading this one and enjoying themselves. I was concerned about the possibility of a Victorious and Freddy fan but you guys proved to me that I made the right decision publishing this story.

i will try to correspond with you guys in case any of you have a question or concern.

This one's a little short but I'm dog tired.

Enjoy

;-)

Tracy ran through the hospital corridor, breathing heavy. She rounded another generic teal corner and stopped at the sight of the first familiar face: Doc.

His name was James Miller, PhD. Everyone at the shelter, including the staff, just called him Doc. No other psychologist or therapist to speak of over the years. Doc seemed to be the only one who would listen to the troubled fallout of Springwood.

"DOC!" the blonde woman shouted as she ran. He locked eyes with her and walked towards her, using his larger frame to stop her. He knew from her past sessions if you want to stop Tracy, go for the shoulders, never the wrists. Her biggest trigger was physical contact, but the wrists specifically were a nasty one.

"Tracy, what are you doing here?" he asked solemnly in his usual measured tones.

"What do you mean?" she bit back, breaking free from the restraint. "Where is she?"

"I meant how you found out about…"

Tracy bit her lip, looking around. She was acting like she did when she first came to the shelter as a teenager. You almost couldn't tell the difference between now and then with the exception of less teen angst in her wardrobe and a slightly shorter haircut.

"I," she sighed. "Had a nightmare."

Doc narrowed his eyes in that analytical way she couldn't stand. "Like…that?"

"Like that," she swallowed.

"Tell me what you remember about it."

Doc gestured two chairs in the hall and they say down.

"Okay," Tracy began. "I saw Maggie…and…she was driving…it was raining…"

Her (not really) former therapist nodded for her to continue.

"There was a flat tire…she tried to fix it but…but…but…" A single tear fell from Tracy's face and Doc leaned in.

"And then what?" he asked.

"A truck hit her."

Doc looked away, staring into space, covering his mouth.

Tracy tilted her head. "She's dead isn't she?"

Doc nodded hesitantly. "They found her on the side of the road. No evidence to support a tractor trailer or anything else hit her. But," he felt like he was going to hyperventilate or something. At his age it could be anything. "But her body was consistent with the kind of thing you were describing."

"Oh god," Tracy covered her mouth and begun to sob. "Is he…is he back?"

Doc rubbed his hands together, looking down at the floor.

"I don't know," he said.

"Not the answer I was hoping for."

Tori felt a pillow hit her in the head and she groaned.

"Hey, Tori!" a lyrical though loud voice called out.

The Latina muttered something and stayed in slumberland.

Suddenly, an overwhelming chill shocked Tori awake and she looked around. Standing over her was a smirking Jade, holding a cup in one hand and brandishing an ice cube in the other.

"Awake now?" the Goth asked.

"Damn it Jade" Tori yawned. "I was finally asleep."

Jade felt bad after she said that. "You really couldn't get back to sleep?"

"It was awful," Tori said brushing back her hair. "Every time I went back to sleep, it's like he was waiting for me."

The pale girl's eyes widened as she sat next to her girlfriend. "He?"

"There was a man…in this" Tori held out her arm as if she was imagining the place in front of her. "This…huge boiler room. I've never seen anything like it." Tori stopped after that.

Jade held her hand, making Tori comfortable to continue.

"There was smoke and steam everywhere. I couldn't see…you can't breathe…my clothes were stuck to my body."

Normally Jade would have made a joke about a scantily clad Tori in severe humidity. But she understood this wasn't the best time.

"And what happened, Tori?" Jade felt her hand getting squeezed. Hard.

"There was this horrible man. His face…his face was…burned or something. He was like a monster. He wore a hat and a striped sweater."

Jade's blue-green eyes were lit up. Her heart felt like it was clinched in a steel trap. She felt like she was going to be a little ill, actually.

"Jade?" Tori looked concerned at the girl who looked even paler than usual. "Are you okay?"

She was startled when Jade stood up like a shot.

"Fine," she said. "I'm fine." Jade licked her lips. Tori could tell she had something on her mind.

"Jade…"

"Lookit, I'm gonna get a shower. You can get one when I'm done."

Tori remained sitting on the bed, dumbstruck with what just happened long after Jade left the room.

Tracy walked around Maggie's empty office. Her desk was almost non-existent with piles of opened books and file folders. This dump was lucky to have someone so dedicated. She was lucky, too to have someone like Maggie look out for her.

She pushed Tracy to seeing Doc in the beginning. And it was only in those long, tough sessions she was able to break through her defenses. Tracy's abrasive exterior was masking a lot of pain stemming from the never-ending sexual abuse at the hands of her father.

Every now and then, she would have the occasional night terror. But it used to be a lot worse. Post-traumatic flashbacks were not uncommon and the bad dreams were pretty much every night. It was difficult her Tracy to get close to anyone in any form. It was understandable, Maggie explained to her, when somebody so close to you harms you on a constant basis.

She did eventually make enough strides to have the beginning of a real boyfriend in a boy named Carlos. They never kissed or even held hands. But everyone could see she was slowly getting territorial of the boy. Carlos had his own demons, too. He was physically abused to the point of having to wear a hearing aid. For him, it was his mom.

He wasn't the brightest or the most handsome guy in the world, but there was a sincerity there that was inviting. And she also liked how he wasn't afraid of a strong girl. In fact, she got the sense that he was turned on by her being in control.

Sadly, Tracy would never know his true potential as relationship material. That bastard Freddy killed him and what's more, managed to erase his entire memory from everyone. It was bad enough that he was gone but to be the only one who would miss him was the worst. She would cry now and then when the memories would return but Tracy couldn't explain what she was sad about when asked.

Tracy shook her head from being lost in nostalgia.

Somebody from the county called earlier that day, wondering who was going to take over management of the youth recovery shelter. Tracy considered filling the position. She recently finished graduate school. The blonde woman would stare at her hung diplomas in disbelief. One minute she didn't know if she was going to go the way of prostitute or junkie or both. The next, Maggie is helping her fill out enrollment and financial aid paperwork. Next thing she knew, Tracy was a college grad. She thought that would show the pile of shit who dared call himself "father."

Tracy certainly had the credentials with her major in psychology and minor in education. Her own personal experience in the system implanted skills of empathy that are quite beneficial. There were plenty of nice people in this thankless line of work but they usually say such condescending things like "I understand" but they really don't. They sympathize. That's the problem. Someone like Tracy could relate; that's the difference.

Before she was going to formally accept anything at this point, there was some very important business she had to handle first. She smiled to herself for a second, realizing if she tried to explain what was going on to a stranger, that person would call the men in white coats.

But it didn't matter how crazy this was. She had to take care of business.

Family business.

Tracy picked up the phone and rifled through Maggie's rolodex and found the contact at the adoption agency. After a few rings, an older woman answered.

"Yes, hi" Tracy casually greeted. "I am calling from Springwood Youth Shelter."

"What can I do to help you, Miss?" the lady asked.

"I need information regarding a Jadelyn West," Tracy sat down at the desk, searching for a pad and pen. "Placed into the system roughly seventeen years ago."

"I'm sorry Miss but we cannot disclose…"

"I think you can make an exception for me" Tracy's tone getting more stern.

"And what makes you think…"

"Because I'm her sister." She leaned back, knowing that would shut her up.

Chapter Text

A/N: Sorry this upload was a little late. I had a rough day yesterday and couldn't get to my computer. I have another one after this, so please read both!

Robbie was in bed reading The Other End of Time by Frederik Pohl; lost in the strange adventures of Dan Dannerman, a government agent abducted by aliens. He was imprisoned with other humans, all stripped of their clothing, thinking of how they could escape by befriending one of their captors and learning more about the mysterious race.

It was only 9:15 but Robbie was already beginning to nod off and eventually sleep gave out as his book slipped from his grasp.

Robbie was walking through the park with Cat. He was getting a little apprehensive because they've strayed from the path and it was getting dusk.

"Which way…?" he asked out loud.

The redhead stuck close to Robbie but her eyes lit up and she bounded toward a brick wall.

"This way," she shouted.

"Cat, wait up!" Robbie called back, running after her. He couldn't believe how fast she was going. It seemed like she was running in slow motion but it was getting more and more difficult to keep her in his sights.

He caught up to the big red wall, confused where Cat went. Robbie checked the shrubbery growing around the monolith made of bricks. He brushed past a large bush, revealing a door red from years of rust. Gripping the handle, Robbie opened the heavy metal door with a loud creak.

It was pitch black the whole way down a flight of steps until the very bottom, leading to a corridor. Below was a small lamp.

"Cat!" Robbie called out into the abyss.

Nothing. Even his voice didn't echo back.

"CAAAAAT!" his tone grew more anxious. Swallowing his fear, he descended the metal stairs. "Cat!" He reached the bottom and started down the mildly-lit hallway. "Cat! Answer me!"

"Robbie! Help!"

The curly-haired boy ran frantically until the light vanished again. Then he was startled by a puff of hot steam in his face.

His glasses fogged up, obscuring his vision. He took them off and quickly wiped them clear.

"Cat, where are you?"

"Down here!" Cat called out beneath the catwalk he was standing on. "Hurry!"

Robbie found another flight of stairs and made his way to the bottom. His blood boiled when he could begin to make out Cat's sobs. They got louder the closer he got. When he turned a corner, certain he had found her, Cat wasn't there. Robbie rested his hand on a pipe and burned it, letting out a yelp.

Holding his hand, breathing heavy, Robbie backed up and tripped over a pipe coming out of the floor. He landed on the concrete hard.

A loud screeching made his heart beat fast. He couldn't see where it was coming from but he could start hearing something metal tapping followed by what sounded like a man laughing.

Robbie's body tensed up as he attempted to bring himself to his feet. His brow was pouring sweat, the sweltering flames in the iron cages around him were too much to bear.

He couldn't let that stop him. He had to find Cat and get her out of this horrible place. Robbie was convinced someone was down here with them. And he didn't want to stick around long enough to find out what he wanted. His worse fear was that some creep down here already had Cat in his clutches.

Robbie trudged forward cautiously but with purpose.

"Cat!" he called out yet again. "Can you still hear me?"

"In here."

Robbie made his way to a door that had a big wheel on it. His heart sank when he realized that it was a pressure chamber of some kind. He had to get it open quick to go get Cat.

He pushed the even heavier door with all his might and rushed in.

Nobody.

Robbie, frustrated and scared for Cat, turned around and suddenly a hand of rusted metal and leather gripped his face and surprisingly lifted him off the ground. As he got pinned against the wall, the figure came more out of the shadows. Robbie's jaw dropped.

A badly-burned man beyond description sneered as he regarded the boy.

Robbie tried to say something or at least make an audible sound but he couldn't.

"What's the matter, puppet boy?" the scarred man asked. "Can't make yourself talk?"

The man released his grip and Robbie fell back to the floor.

"That's okay," the guy in the fedora hat pointed with one of his finger knives. "I'll just have to make you scream…"

The instant shock of a phone ringing ripped Robbie from that terrible dungeon.

Robbie answered the phone after letting it ring a few times. He needed a second or two to get his bearings.

"Hello?" he hoarsely greeted.

His whole posture slumped. "No, you cannot talk to Rex."

Robbie furrowed his brow. "Why?" his voice almost climbed to a higher register.

"Because, it's three in the morning."

And with that Robbie tossed the phone aside and couldn't help but notice the hand he was throwing it with. His hairs on the back of his neck stood up when he saw the burn mark on his hand.

"Okay, how did that sound?"

Andre waited patiently for the sound engineer to give the thumbs up.

"Yeah Andre," the scruffy man in the baseball cap responded. "We picked up a little interference on that last take."

The musician huffed and nodded. "Alright, alright. Let's do it again."

He turned back and sat before the black piano. Andre kept his peripheral vision fixed on the little light above the sound proof glass. Once it flashed red, he cracked his knuckles and began to depress the keys.

But there was no music. What Andre heard sent chills up his spine. He couldn't put his finger on what it was. It sounded like screaming. He tried another key.

Then another.

Then another.

It sounded like animals…and they were screaming…like something was killing them.

Andre backed away slowly in his wheeled bench. He fell out of it with what came next.

A man jumped up from behind the piano, looking down on the young musician. His draw dropped at the sight of his badly-burned flesh. Despite his face being partially obscured by a hat, the evil eyes and hungry grin seemed to glow.

Andre ran to the glass and pounded on it.

"Jimmy!" he screamed between his fists slamming on the Plexiglas. "Jimmy! Help!"

He quickly ran to the door leading out of the recording room and it was locked. Andre's heart fell well to his legs and he started smacking the glass again. But no matter how hard Andre knocked or how loud he yellowed for help, Jimmy the engineer didn't so much as look up. The man was absorbed in a magazine and without the P.A., there is no way he could hear.

"Look up, Jimmy" Andre's eyes began to water, his fear overtaking him. "Look up, you son of a bitch!"

As soon as Andre turned around, he found himself being pushed hard to the glass which didn't so much as make a dent. The strange man held up one of his hands which wore a creepy glove made of blades.

"Who are you?" Andre asked, his lip quivering at the knives in front of his face.

The man's tongue jutted out rapidly like a snake's.

Andre swallowed nervously. "What are you?"

"Forever…" he whispered as he grazed one of his fingers across Andre's cheek. The boy fell to the floor, rubbing his bleeding wound. The man then leaned in close to his face. "You know what tonight is?" he asked.

Andre shook his head, pouring sweat.

"When the music…dies…"

"ANDRE!"

The bronze-skinned teen woke up, soaked in his own cold sweat. He clutched his chest, looking over to his bedroom door. His grandmother was standing there, holding a broom.

"ANDRE!" she yelled.

"Wh-whu-what is it, Grandma?"

"ANDRE! I THINK TIME HAS STOPPED! THE DVD PLAYER KEEPS TELLING ME IT'S NOON!"

"Grandma," Andre sighed, catching his breath. "That clock doesn't work. It never has. It's not really noon."

"ARE YOU SURE?" she asked in her lesser panicked tone.

"I'm sure. Go check the time on your phone or computer."

"OKAY, ANDRE!"

He suddenly sucked his teeth at the pain on his left cheek. He touched it and his eyes widened when he saw blood on his hand.

Andre bit his lip and got to a mirror to see it. "Now that wasn't imagined."

A/N: I got the inspiration for the piano scene from two movies: Haxan (1922) and House (1977). If you like Japanese horror, you should really check out House. It is seriously fucked up; worth a rent. One described it as an episode of Scooby Doo made for adults with over-the-top gore. Just watch the trailer on YouTube and you can see some of the weird ways they can make a piano creepy. LOL

Chapter Text

Tracy woke up at Maggie's desk with the sound of someone clearing their throat. She rubbed her eyes and Doc stood before her, smirking at the woman that dozed off burning the midnight oil from the look of it. The desk was buried underneath post-its and notepads and various kinds of pens. There was even an atlas open to the far west coast United States.

"What's that sound?" Tracy asked, gripping her left temple. She was referring to the high-pitched hum in the room. Doc nodded and hung up the phone which killed the dial tone.

He observed the old landline phone, the atlas and the fact that Tracy was sitting in the office of a dead friend.

"Feeling nostalgic?" he asked.

"Hardly," she replied standing up. She noticed his furrowed brow and reconsidered her tone. "I didn't mean for it to come off as uncaring."

Doc puts his hands in his pockets. "I miss her too, you know."

Tracy nodded. "I know," she gave a small smile.

"What have you been up to?" he asked, indicating the sty that wasn't there yesterday.

"Been trying to find my sister."

He understood, given the circumstances. Not all the kids from Fred Krueger's first rampage decades ago died. Some grew up old enough to leave Springwood behind and start families of their own.

Tracy had a baby sister born while she was in the youth shelter. Apparently, her father was philandering about and had this child born out of wedlock. Once he was arrested for abuse and the mother when AWOL, the baby was put into the care of the state.

Tracy had high hopes that when she turned eighteen, which was weeks away, she could legally apply for guardianship. Hell, she was the closest thing to family she had. The blonde could never forget the day she first held her baby half-sister. She thought she was the most precious thing on earth and her eyes just saw right into your heart. The name hit her over the head that moment. Her defining feature was those eyes so Tracy settled upon Jade, something green and precious. It was perfect.

Maggie understood that Tracy had issues during her formative years with her abuse. But she could see that she would die to protect her sister. She felt confident that her instincts would kick in. So much so that she tried to use her influence in the system to keep Baby Jade from being adopted but it was no use.

A Mr. and Mrs. West came one day looking for a baby to adopt. They have had difficulty having one on their own, so they felt they could give someone less fortunate a good home. Tracy was flippant about the idea, despite their non-threatening vibe. She was not willing to give Jade up but there was nothing that Maggie could do at this point. They told Tracy that she could visit her anytime and that they would keep the name Jade.

For a little while, Tracy felt good about this arrangement. Every week, Tracy made time between school and work to see her baby sis. She could make her smile and giggle every time. Tracy imagined herself with kids of her own one day. Stranger things have happened.

But unfortunately, Mr. West's employment fell through and they had to relocate to where the offers were. They told Tracy that they were moving westward, possibly Arizona or California, places where the economy was exploding.

Tracy was depressed and if it weren't for Maggie and Doc's support, she would have turned to drugs again. It was then that the idea of school was suggested, to give Tracy a better life and to get her mind on other things.

"I have pinpointed her possible whereabouts to Los Angeles," Tracy pointed on the atlas. "A law firm there has an Alex West on the books. It's all I have to go on"

"And why," Doc leaned in. "are you trying to find your sister besides the obvious reason?"

Tracy licked her lips and looked at her hands. "I think the evil has escaped."

Tracy and Doc shared a stark silence. They were both on the same page.

"And if you're right, how sure are you that Jade is still in L.A.?" Doc asked.

"Chances are good. She ought to still be in high school."

Doc crossed his arms. "And what if she dropped out or something?"

Tracy was about to leave but hesitated for a second. "Maybe…maybe she has a reason to stay."

Jade came down the stairs, looking around, and found Tori in the kitchen. She was making some eggs on the stove.

"Hey," she called out.

Tori barely looked up to acknowledge Jade.

"What's up?" Tori whispered.

"Why didn't you get a shower after me?"

Tori shrugged. "I dunno."

Jade approached her girlfriend. "Hey, wait a minute" Jade grabbed Tori's hands. "What's the problem?"

"We both know I'm not the one with the problem."

Jade let go of Tori's hands and backed a step away. "Oh, I see."

"I need to know something, Jade. What was it about my dream that freaked you out?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," Jade sighed, her eyes looking damn serious.

"Try me," Tori coldly demanded, slamming down the hot pan.

Jade had this look about her like she was going to cry. "I…can't. You'll think I'm crazy."

"Fine," Tori responded taking the eggs off the heat and putting them on the counter. "Let's talk about something else. Have you told your parents about us yet?"

Jade was getting utensils at the time out of the drawer but dropped them when bombarded by the question. "What?" she asked.

"You heard me," Tori stood her ground, hands on her hips. "Do they know?"

"Yeah," Jade scoffed.

"Why don't I believe you?" Tori's tone had venom.

Jade just stood there, caught in her lie.

"I mean," Tori continued. "That is why you're making sure I go back home before tonight because that's before they come back from vacation, correct?"

Tori was getting apprehensive as her girlfriend's face was looking less and less confident.

"Tell me I'm wrong," Tori pleaded, while moving the eggs off the pan onto a large white plate.

After a second's hesitation, Jade shook her head.

"You know what," Tori slammed the pan down so hard it made Jade jump. "I lost my appetite."

She brushed past Jade and grabbed her backpack by the door.

"Tori wait!" Jade ran after her. She got between her love and the front door. "Please don't go."

Tori's eyes were both hurt and unforgiving.

"Please," Jade whispered; her hands together as if in prayer.

"What are you scared of?" Tori asked.

"I'm…not scared…" Jade folded her arms.

"Then why is it when something gives you that look in your face, you turn tail and run."

"What face?" Jade asked.

"That one," Tori pointed. "You're heavy. I have known you long enough to tell from your face that your mind is preoccupied. It makes no sense because for as long as I've known you, you were never afraid to say or do what you felt. You should be able to tell me anything!"

Jade shrugged. "Because I don't want to talk about a stupid dream and tell my parents about us, you think I'm scared?"

"Then explain to me why those two things are different," Tori tilted her head, hand on one hip.

The raven-haired girl didn't want to admit to her girlfriend that both notions seriously did scare her to the core. They were both so fantastic that she was afraid people wouldn't understand. But she couldn't bring herself to admit that to even Tori.

"It's not as simple as you're making it out to be," Jade blurted out.

Tori sighed and gently moved Jade aside, surprised that she conceded.

"One day Jade," Tori's voice sounded broken, preparing for the floodgates to burst. "You'll need to face your fears."

And with that, the front door slammed shut and Jade let out a soft sob.

Dammit Jadelyn, she told herself. How could you let her go?

Chapter Text

A/N: A recent guest review asked about the whole thing with Tracy and Jade. The idea is that the story takes place 18 years since the events of "Freddy's Dead" so Tracy is about 35 and Jade is 17.

Hopefully that clarifies things if I didn't make it clear enough.

Love the reviews and each day more followers...Really awesome.

"Oh, my god Andre!"

He turned around and saw Cat running up to him.

"What happened to you?" she asked, pointing to the big bandage on his cheek.

"Uh, you noticed?" he grinned rubbing it.

"How did it happen?" Cat asked, concerned.

Andre swallowed and chuckled nervously. "Don't know how to explain it…but…I kind of did it in my sleep."

Cat gasped. "Did you try shaving in your sleep?"

"No," Andre responded, shaking his head.

"'Cuz my brother used to shave in his sleep and then the owners of the pet store got real mad."

"Oh look," Andre said relieved. "It's Rob."

"Hey you two," the curly-haired boy smiled. "What's doin'?"

"Hey Robbie," Cat squealed, taking his hand. He winced and almost pulled it away. "What's wrong?"

"Oh, nothing."

Cat opened his hand and her eyes grew wide at the dark mark on his palm.

"You're hurt…" she mused.

"Is that a burn?" Andre asked.

"Yeah…yeah it is."

"How you managed that?" he queried.

Robbie looked at his feet and bit his lip.

"Robbie," Cat folded her arms, squinting her eyes. "Why won't you tell us?" If there was one thing Cat Valentine could never stand it was being lied to.

"You're gonna think I'm crazy," he said to Cat.

"Um, Rob" Andre interjected. "Do you forget who you're talking to?"

Cat whips around and glares at Andre. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing," he quickly blurted out, raising his hands. "I'm sorry."

"Okay," Robbie touched Cat's shoulder and she gave him her full attention. "I was in this…strange place. I was looking for you, actually." Cat looked at him puzzled. "I swear I never had a dream like this before."

Andre's ears perked up at the mention of a dream.

"Anyways," Robbie continued. "This place…it was like a basement or boiler room…And I kept calling for you and calling for you and sometimes I could hear you calling for help. While I was looking for you, I burned my hand…"

"In the dream?" Cat gasped.

Robbie nodded. "Then there…there was this…guy, I guess." He looked into the middle distance; not trying to remember but in trying to find the courage to remember. "He was burned…" Robbie held up his palm. "Much worse than this, trust me…"

"Hey Rob," Andre flicked his head. "Did he have like…knives for fingers?"

Robbie's shoulders slinked, letting his backpack drop to the floor and he backed into the lockers. "What did you say?"

Andre nodded. "Was it a glove, like something he could have made…"

The boy in glasses covered his ears and sank to the floor, his knees close to his chest. Cat knelt beside Robbie and hugged him.

"Okay," Andre getting antsy. "Rob and I dreamed about the same creep and we both have battle scars."

Cat shook her head. "But that's impossible. It was probably a coincidence."

"It wasn't," Andre pressed. "This never happened before and why is it that the one time it did; we bring something out of our dream?"

"Look," the redhead more irritated in her tone. "You both dreamed of a man with a knife glove; wears a hat and striped sweater…"

"Cat," Robbie looked at the girl in the eye. "We didn't mention anything about a hat and sweater."

The redhead's face went coma white.

"Hey, guys" Andre said morbidly. "I just had a thought."

"What?" Robbie asked.

"Well, if I got cut and it was real and you got burned and it was real…what if he killed one of us?"

Cat held her head. "I think I'm gonna be sick."

"I think I'm gonna be sick," Tracy said in awe of Doc's scrapbook.

He had been keeping aware of strange cases. Doc has always fancied himself as a true crime buff but after supposedly "killing" Fred Krueger, a dead man, almost twenty years ago; he kept his ears out for anything that defied explanation.

"I have been cataloging these incidents for years," Doc remarked. "And each one is more fantastic than the last."

Tracy read the clippings of local newspapers and printouts of outlets from further away. Various teens and children were vanishing mysteriously or never leaving their home or school. But the result was almost always the same: the bodies were found in very bizarre circumstances. Most of the time, these kids didn't know one another. They weren't connected through class, race, age, geographic location, or anything. Investigators were going crazy trying to figure out these murders and suicides around the area.

"Have you noticed something with the timeline?" Doc asked.

Tracy nodded. "His reach is growing. But why now?"

Doc looked at her confused.

"Why kill Maggie now?" she asked.

"Maybe," he scrunched his face. "She was a threat."

Tracy looked at him. "Maybe. Or maybe he wanted to make a point."

"And what would that be?"

"That no one is safe." Tracy started walking out the office and down the hallway. "I need to start packing. I have to find her, Doc."

Trina was startled from her book by the slamming of the front door. She looked up and saw a blur resembling her little sister running up the steps, crying. She dogeared her page and left her novel on the coffee table.

"Tori?" she called out, starting up the steps after her.

She across a closed door. Trina knocked. "Tor? You okay?"

"No," she sobbed on the other side. Her voice was muffled. Trina opened the door and sure enough, Tori was lying face down on her bed crying her eyes out.

"What happened, Tori?" she asked.

"Go away," she responded.

"Nuh-uh," Trian sat beside her sister and stroked her hair. "You can tell me." Then something in her mind clicked. "It's about Jade, isn't it?"

Tori lifted up her head, the light reflecting off her face from being half covered in tears.

"It is," Trina sighed.

"What makes you say that?" Tori asked, wiping her eyes.

"I've seen that look before," she nodded.

Tori sniffed and sat up. "Really? You mean you too..."

"Whoa, hold on. I was never dumped. i just meant that I've seen that look...in other people."

Tori rolled her eyes and sat more erect. "I wasn't dumped. We didn't even break up. I guess we didn't break up..."

"Hey," Trina smiled, pulling Tori's arm. "You can tell me all about it on the way."

"On the way where?"

"The mall. Little consumer therapy will do you some good. Besides, I need a new outfit for this weekend anyway."

"Oh, I don't wanna go out," Tori whined.

Trina finally managed to yank her baby sister to her feet. "Come on, it'll be a blasty! We'll shop, get some lunch at this new Thai place. I hear its great!"

"Alright, alright, fine" Tori sighed. "Let's go."

"So," Trina squinted as she drove. "She still hasn't told her parents about the two of you?"

Tori nodded.

"That's harsh, girl."

"Yeah," Tori whispered.

Trina then chuckled. "Remember the night you came out to mom and dad?"

"Oh God," Tori covered her eyes. "It was so embarassing."

"I think it was while we were all watching that movie...oh, man what was it again?..."

"I forget," Tori shrugged.

"Well, I know what you do remember. Mom and I happened to look over to you and dad and the two of you would always be sitting higher in your seats whenever Scarlett Johansson appeared on screen."

Tori leaned forward, burying her head in her lap. She groaned at the idea of being caught drooling like that.

"Then mom and I pulled you aside..."

"Separately" Tori added.

"Right," Trina pointed. "And I was all like 'Hey, Tor, is there something you need to tell us?'"

"Mom said pretty much the same thing."

"Nice," Trina laughed.

"Thanks, Trina" Tori sat up looking out the window. "I needed a good laugh. Even if it was at my own expense."

"Anytime," Trina punched Tori in the shoulder.

Tori pouted and held her shoulder in mock pain.

"Oh, don't be a wuss" she teased.

"Well, that hurt."

"Shake it off cuz we're almost there."

Chapter Text

A/N: I like the positive response over Trina in the previous chapter. I enjoy showing her warmer side and how she can be there for someone when things get really bad. I wanted to savor these scenes between her and Tori especially because in one of my recent finished stories, Trina wasn't in it and you could definitely feel her presence missed.

Besides, I think the best horror build up the characters, making them likable and relatable, before introducing the menace.

;-)

Tori followed Trina into the massive building, teaming with shops and eateries. The clear sunny sky shone through the glass ceiling, natural light outdoing the neon and bulbs from the various businesses below.

The mall was built on a hill so depending on which side you entered meant a different level. Where Sisters Vega parked led them to the second tier.

"Oh, right" Trina groaned.

"What?" Tori asked.

"I forgot they moved Palindromes to downstairs."

"We'll get there soon. We can check out some of the other stores."

Trina folded her arms. "Fine. But the good tops better not be taken by the time we get there."

"OOOOOOHHH," Tori said, waving her hands. "That was my worried face."

"Don't make me pitch you over the railing."

The sister laughed and proceeded along the promenade.

Cat was drawing in study hall, letting her colored pencils roam freely across the paper. Her unique stream-of-consciousness style would lead to some very creative visuals and her art teacher would gush over her sketches.

On this occasion; Cat was using the red, orange and brown heavily. She bit her lips, scrawling on the parchment with a growing sense of urgency like she couldn't speak and this was her only was to communicate.

Robbie couldn't help but notice her frazzled but driven demeanor.

"Cat?" he asked cautiously. "What you drawing?"

She barely acknowledged him. She just kept drawing. It seemed like she was going faster with each passing second. When it seemed like smoke was going to rise form the paper, Cat collapsed onto the table. Her head made a sound that echoed through the quiet library.

Robbie nudged her, "Cat! Cat! Please wake up!"

The little redhead leaped out of her chair and fell onto the floor as if 10,000 volts flowed through her body. Her eyes were wide open, not blinking once. She seemed to be in a trance. But whatever it was, Cat snapped out of it when Robbie touched her arm.

An earth-shaking shriek dwarfed whatever disturbance rung through the library in the past.

"NO! NO! NO! NOOOOOO!" Cat screamed at the top of her lungs. (And anyone who heard her sing could only imagine how high her voice went.)

"Cat," Robbie attempting to hold her down. "It's okay. You're safe now."

"Hold on, Rob" Andre jumped into the room and pulled his hand away. "Keep her still. She might have a concussion or something."

"It was him," she whispered. Chills went up the spines of both boys near her. They exchanged glances.

"Are you hurt?" Andre asked.

"No," Cat shook her head. "I got away."

"What do we do?" Robbie asked.

Night was setting in. Tori was exhausted. She couldn't believe that Trina had her there for six hours. Her feet ached and it seemed like she was going to fall asleep the second she sat down.

"Trina," Tori dragged out the name for emphasis.

"Yeah, Tori?" she seemed a little annoyed.

"Are we done now? I'm so tired," Tori yawned the last sentence.

"But Tor, I wanted to go back to that surfboard store on the other side. That sandy-haired guy at the register was so hot..."

"Oh, come on, we've been here all day. Let's just go home."

"It hasn't been that long," Trina said checking her phone and raised an eyebrow. "Holy shit," the elder Vega snapped. "We gotta get back."

"Told you it was too long," Tori said.

Trina shook her head. "Not just that but the eight missed calls from mom. You probably got a few."

"Darn it, Trina" Tori chastised as they begun running to the door. "I told you that stupid app you downloaded on my phone screwed with my vibrate."

"Just shut it and let's go!"

The sisters piled into the car with Trina's bags. Tori didn't buy anything. She wasn't interested in anything at all. Trina would go off on her own and look for stuff and then find Tori wandering, just gazing blankly at merchandise. She saw that this trip was not getting her mind off things. Which was why she kept her there, losing track of time.

"I'm sorry I yelled," Tori said.

Trina looked around the minivan in front of her for the exit. "It's okay. I just hoped you had a good time."

"I did," she insisted.

"Didn't look like it," Trina shrugged.

"Sorry, it's just that thing with Jade still bothered me."

"Don't think of me as a couples counselor but maybe you won't get over this until you two work it out."

Tori nodded slowly. "You're right," she said quietly. "You know what," her voice got more affirmative and she sat more with confidence. "Take me to Jade's house. I will ambush her and her parents and then the cat will be out of the bag."

"Sounds pretty sneaky and bitchy," Trina smirked. "I've taught you well. We Vega girls don't sit and mope. We go and get!"

"Speaking of, how's it going with Beck?" Tori asked, yawning.

"I...I...think I'm wearing that boy down." Trina thought and nodded. "He'll come around." She looked at her little sister. "Right?"

Trina didn't get a response but a mild snore next to her. Tori's head was leaning against the window, her mouth hanging open. Trina stopped at a red light. She tapped the steering wheel for what felt like the longest minute.

"Finally," Trina muttered when the light turned green.

Trina didn't see the city bus barreling out of control through the intersection and obliterating the front half of her Passat. Her head reeled from the impact but the literal spinning of the car that followed only exacerbated her headache. She peered through the smoke and shards of broken glass and saw her sister laying motionless.

"Tori," she coughed.

"Don't move, ma'am" she heard a voice. Then a loud mechanical whirring scared Trina. Through the corner of her eye, she could see metal crumpling around her. It was then she started to feel dizzy and pass out.

Trina sat up and was stopped by her mom.

"Oh god, honey" she cried hugging her. "You need to take it easy."

"What's happen...where am I?"

"You were in an accident."

Trina's eyes widened in horror. "Tori! Where is she?"

A/N: Next chapter will have Jade. Promise.

Chapter Text

Hope you enjoy this chapter; tried to make it long and interesting.

;-)

"Jade?"

The black-haired girl didn't acknowledge her mother's voice. She sat up in her bed, back to the door so that she wouldn't see her crying.

"Are you alright?" her mom asked, touching her shoulder.

"I'm fine," she sniffed quickly wiping her eyes and turning around. It was futile.

"You were crying, weren't you?" she asked, smiling.

"Yeah, so what?"

"I guess you heard the news."

Jade blinked and looked up. "What?"

"Nobody called you?"

Jade stared at her phone and saw that it was still off. She turned it on and her inbox flooded with missed calls and messages.

"Whoa," she whispered at the amount of what she missed in one day. She clicked on one of the more recent texts and it says something about Tori and Trina in the hospital.

She stood up and grabbed her mom.

"What happened!" her face was wrought with panic.

Jade's mother sighed, "There was an accident. Pretty bad…"

Before she could say anything further, Jade was already out the door and putting her key in the ignition.

The Goth must have pushed about two dozen people down when she charged through the hospital like a tidal wave. She cursed herself when she would go one way and the room numbers on the plaques would indicate she was walking the wrong direction. In happened quite a few times. Jade doesn't think straight when she's upset or worried.

She breathed a small sigh of relief when eye caught a familiar face: Cat's wide but sad eyes. She was being consoled by Robbie and Andre.

"Cat," Jade called out. The three of them all looked up at her.

"Jade!"

Cat got up and ran to her best friend and latched herself to her. Normally, Jade was irritated by these ambushes of affection but this time she allowed it to come and run its course.

"Cat," Jade managed to say once she caught her breath. "Where is she?"

"Right there," she pointed indicating the first open door to the left. Jade took a deep breath and proceeded through it.

Her heart stopped when she saw Tori hooked up to a vitals monitor, breathing apparatus, and various tubes giving her blood and clear things she couldn't identify. Holly and David Vega both looked up in unison, morose faces.

"Hello, Jade" Holly softly spoke. She walked up slowly and gave her a hug. Ever since the two of them announced their going out, Tori's parents have been very agreeable. Too often David in his job has seen runaways that would fall into petty crime that would eventually escalate; all because their parents couldn't accept what they were. Holly told Jade that they may not be perfect parents, but they believe that a parent's life is unconditional.

"Oh god," Jade cried when she got a better look at Tori's peaceful-looking face. "How is she?"

"Well," David stood up. "She hasn't regained consciousness since the accident. Trina woke up but she's in pretty bad shape."

Jade nodded as she walked over and rubbed Tori's forehead.

"Can I see her?" Jade asked.

"She's over here," a voice groaned from across the room.

Jade peered over and there was the elder Vega bandaged up with her leg elevated. The raven-haired girl ran over to her.

"Tell me what happened," she demanded. Jade knew that Tori still didn't have her license so it was her that was doing the driving. Trina sipped some juice through an extremely long straw from a container that was sitting on the little dining table in front of her. It was a special thing you could buy in the gift shop for patients in traction that couldn't move their arms.

"Nothing," Trina shrugged her one shoulder. "We stopped at a light, it turned green; next thing I knew, some asshole plowed right into us."

"A car?" Jade asked.

"More of a bus," Holly chimed in.

"And I'll deal with him tomorrow," David added.

Jade grinned but it vanished when she looked back and saw Tori laid up.

"The doctor," David began. "Told us that Tori succumbed to a head injury. Chances are, she might be like this for a little while." He emphasized the "little while" to make it sound more hopeful.

"You mean like a coma?" Jade asked.

"They say a lot of people snap out of such things within hours," Holly nodded.

"And when they don't?" Jade's voice cracked.

The whole room fell silent. Jade walked solemnly over to Tori and sat by her side, taking her hand in hers.

"I'm sorry, Tori. I didn't want to fight earlier. Maybe if I wasn't so stupid you wouldn't be here."

"Hey," Holly put her hand on Jade's shoulder. "Don't start talking like that. You don't want to go down that road."

"What can I do?" Jade asked. "I wish there was something I could do to help. I want to be able to get in there and snap her out of it."

"You're being there for her," David said. "It will mean a lot to her when she wakes up."

Jade put her free hand on her hip. "Somehow I don't think that's good enough."

Tori found herself back in the mall but the lights were off. She could scarcely see but when she rounded a corner, it got a little bit better. Faint security lights inside stores created scattered sources of meager light. It was like her vision was bathed in this dark blue filter.

Every step of her boots echoed throughout the spacious building, heel clacking on hardwood floor and reverberating all around.

"Trina," Tori yelled. "Are you here? Hello? Anybody out there?"

"I'm here," a raspy voice came up behind her. It almost sounded like an animal.

Tori turned around and fell to her feet, screaming in horror. The badly-scarred man with the razor-hand was back, standing over her. Tori quickly unzipped her brown boots and threw them at him. She didn't care that she was barefoot. She knew she could run faster than with those boots on.

The faster she ran, the closer he seemed. He didn't look like he was running at all and yet he always appeared to be just inches behind her. Tori was worried she was going to tire out before she could think of something or find help.

Jade was asleep in the chair next to Tori's bed. Normally, visiting regulations prohibit non-family members but frankly, the nurses were all scared of Jade. Whenever one would come up to the room and tell her to leave, she would shoot an "I'm gonna kill you" look.

She was startled awake by a hand jostling her leg. It fell to the floor and her eyes snapped open. Jade looked up, annoyed at the blonde stranger.

"Who the fuck are you?" Jade hissed.

Tracy held up a photo of her, then seventeen, holding a baby Jade. "That's who the fuck I am," she smirked. "Care to guess who the delightful little girl is?"

"Is that baby supposed to be me?" Jade asked, raising an eyebrow.

Tracy nodded.

"And what are you, my birth mother?"

"Hardly, kid" Tracy looked around the room. "Hold on a sec, you knew?"

"That I was adopted? Well, the papers were a dead giveaway. Found them when I was bored one day in my dad's office."

"Did they ever tell you about me?"

Jade pointed "And you are…"

"Unbelievable," Tracy shook her head. "Long story short: I'm your sister."

"You know," Jade rolled her eyes. "First my girlfriend goes into a coma and now a long-lost sister? What is this, Days of Our Lives?"

"No, this not a show" Tracy grabbed a nearby chair and sat across from Jade. "Yes, we're sisters. Well, technically half-sisters; same father."

Jade tilted her head, quietly judging the newcomer.

"The name's Tracy," the blonde extended her hand.

The pale girl remained fixed on this would-be sister.

"Will you say something?" Tracy demanded.

"Why didn't you ever write or something?"

"Truth?" Tracy asked.

"Yeah."

"To be completely honest, I didn't know where you were until sometime yesterday. See, when your parents adopted you, I always went to see you. But, then they moved and they promised they were going to send me an address but it never came. Believe me, Jade; I wanted to be a part of your life. You actually helped me want to be a better person so that I could hang out with you, to teach you, to protect you…"

Jade was intrigued by Tracy's sudden silence.

"How did you know I was here?" Jade asked.

"Your dad's work records had his home address. I went there a couple hours ago and they were plenty surprised to find me on their doorstep."

Jade furrowed her eyebrows, imagining their reactions. "Then what?"

"I told them that if they want to make it up to me, they had better tell me where you were."

Tracy looked over at Tori.

"Who's this, Jade? A friend?"

Jade deftly grabbed Tori's hand and squeezed hard. She then caressed her face with the other hand.

"Oh I see," Tracy smirked. "Like that?"

"Like that," Jade nodded.

"Right on; how's she doing?"

"Not good. She still hasn't woken up since the accident." Jade pointed to Trina. "See that girl over there? That's her sister. She was driving, Tori fell asleep, and next thing that happened, a bus totaled the car."

"Oh, wow" Tracy whispered. "I'm sorry." She indicated to Tori's other arm. "May I?"

Jade nodded.

Tracy took Tori's arm, "This is Jade's big sister telling you that you need to wake up. Don't make me come in there." She glanced over and saw Jade manage a small smile. At least that cheered her up for a second. Tracy was then studying Tori's arm.

"Something wrong?" Jade asked.

"This bruising on her wrist looks pretty bad…and recent" Tracy looked up at Jade. "Her parents never…"

"No way," Jade shook her head. "They would be the last people…"

"Now you look worried," Tracy remarked.

"She…she never had those marks when I got here. And I never left her side, except once to use the bathroom of course."

"Wait," Tracy said. "You said she was asleep before the accident."

"Yeah, Trina said she started nodding off."

"Oh shit," Tracy breathed.

Chapter Text

Tori was hyperventilating, her body paralyzed with terror. She hid behind a thick tree. The woods behind the shopping mall were deeper than expected. Crouched under the shadow of the gargantuan arbor, Tori tugged at her hair, biting her lip and rocking herself back and forth. She had never been more scared in her life than right now.

It was like she had been running and hiding forever. Tori could scarcely remember anything that happened prior. It was just like that nightmare from the other time at Jade's house. But something was different this time.

Tori knew that she should have woken up by now. She always snapped out of it when the nightmare got too intense. But nothing happened.

It was like she couldn't escape.

The scary man's cackling and the spine-tingling rubbing of the metal fingers had died down for a while. But Tori remained on edge, anticipating hearing the beckoning of certain doom.

Something about this forest was strange but oddly comforting. Everywhere she looked, no matter how much she ran, it seemed like it just kept going. There were trees everywhere. Slowly, she was convincing herself that she had indeed gave that creep the slip.

He almost got her once though. She examined her wrists; they were black and blue from when he held her down. He grimaced at the sight of her. Tori thought she was going to be sick when the madman licked her face, complimenting how sweet she tasted. For a second there, she thought she was going to die. There was no doubt in her mind. Then, suddenly, she was whisked away from him and in these woods.

Whatever was going on, Tori was confident this was a nightmare. And she was far from in control. And she needed to wake up soon.

Doctor Phelps studied the unconscious Latina's wrists, puzzled.

"You're sure nobody else came in this room?" the man asked Jade.

She folded her arms, "No one! Besides, who the hell would want to hurt her?"

"Well, miss, even if Tori here wasn't comatose; these wounds were certainly NOT self-inflicted." He pointed to Tori's arms and Tracy looked closer. Being a child of abuse and being around others in similar situations, she had to agree with the doctor. "See the markings? Clearly they were done by somebody in front of her, probably trying to hold her down."

"But that's ludicrous," Tracy retorted. "Who would..."

"I know," a familiar voice grabbed Jade's attention. They all looked and standing in the doorway was Beck Oliver of all people.

"What are you doing here?" Jade barked at the Canadian.

"Who's he?" Tracy asked.

"Nobody," Jade lifted her head up high. "Just an ex-boyfriend."

Tracy turned to Jade. "But I thought you were..."

"It was eighth grade; I was...confused."

"Son," the doctor adjusted his glasses. "You said may know who could have done this?"

Beck nodded, "I might. See, Tori and Jade have been known to...not get along."

Jade's eyes widened with hellfire aimed directly at Beck.

"If you're suggesting what I think you're suggesting," Tracy warned.

"And who are you?" Beck asked Tracy.

"If you must know," she sneered. "I am Jade's older sister."

Beck squinted. "I didn't know she had a sister."

"You don't know much do you, wonder-boy?" Tracy folded her arms, smirking.

Beck cleared his throat. "Lookit, I didn't come here to be insulted. I was just trying to shed some light on..."

"BULLSHIT!" Jade held up her hand. "You're just being bitter, as usual."

"What do you mean?" Tracy asked.

"I broke up with Beck because I was having feelings for Tori and I decided it wasn't fair for him, so I tried to do the right thing. Problem was he tried to rebound on Tori, not realizing she was the one I wanted to be with. So he got humiliated twice that day. I felt bad for him and I regretted it but I moved on. He hadn't."

"Hey, Tracy" Beck addressed the blonde. "Did your darling little sis tell you about when she first met Tori? How she poured coffee on her head? Or how about the time she faked a fight so that Tori would get detention? This was my favorite. Tori was in the hospital giving blood and Jade here stole it to keep her at the hospital to stop her from playing the lead in a show."

"That's ridiculous!" Tracy barked. She turned to Jade whose face was downcast. "Really? You did that shit? And they said I was a bad kid," she chuckled.

"Again," Jade's voice broke. "I regret what I have done and I think I did my best to make it up to her so far."

Tracy put her arm around Jade, bringing her close. "I know, kiddo" Tracy kissed her on the head. "We all make mistakes."

"Please leave," Jade commanded Beck, teary-eyed.

"Tori is my friend, too..."

"I think she just told you to leave" Tracy interjected. "I suggest you do."

Beck sighed and turned to leave.

Tracy looked at the doctor. "Hey, listen; that guy was barking up the wrong tree. I saw these two last night," Tracy lifted Jade's head up. "She wouldn't do anything to someone she cared about. Trust me, I know the type."

"Okay," he responded. "Now, I have to go and do my rounds. Doctor Chapman will be along later to check up on Tori."

"Thanks," Tracy told him.

"Thank you" Jade added.

Later that day Cat, Robbie and Andre returned with balloons, cards and other "get well" gear.

"How's she holding up?" Robbie asked.

Jade sighed. "She hasn't gone anywhere." Even Jade West was too emotionally and physically exhausted to be sarcastic.

Cat froze at the sight of Tori's wrists. "What happened?" she pointed.

"Those?" Jade asked. "I don't know. Hey, did you guys see anything weird. Anybody acting strange?"

The three of them shook their heads. Jade huffed in frustration.

"I saw Beck's car leaving," Andre said. "He came to visit?"

"Unfortunately, yes."

"I don't know what got into him," Cat shrugged. "He used to be cool; now he's just a big jerk."

Jade saw that Trina was awake and went over to her.

"How you doing?" she asked.

Trina winced in pain. "I'll live. Look, I know we've haven't gotten along before but I really do appreciate you staying with Tori." She noticed Jade was wearing the same clothes. "You stayed all night?"

Jade nodded.

Trina smiled, "Thank you."

"Beck came by earlier," Jade said.

"Where is he?" Trina asked excitedly.

"I sent him packing."

Trina looked offended "Oh, Why?"

"I don't know why you waste your time trying to win him over. He's a complete douche these days."

Trina sighed and pouted.

"Don't worry," Jade patted Trina's leg. "You'll figure it out one day and I'll be there to say I told you so."

Trina stuck her tongue out. Jade smiled and pulled out a pair of her favorite scissors.

"Do that again and I'm keeping it."

About an hour later, Tracy returned with some food for the gang from a nearby burger joint. Everybody was hesitant about the hospital food.

"Thanks," Trina said while sipping a milkshake. "Who are you, by the way?"

"Oh, right" Tracy extended her hand. "Name's Tracy; I'm Jade's sister."

Trina shut her eyes and groaned. "Man, how long was I asleep?"

Tori's heart monitor was spiking, sending out loud beeps. A light flashed in the hallway as doctors and nurses rushed in to assist her.

"What's going on?" Jade asked, scared.

"Just everyone stand back. Her pulse is racing like crazy."

Jade covered her mouth, watching a long cut form on the outside of her thigh. Her eyes practically sprang out of her head.

One of the nurses produced a syringe. "This should calm her down."

"Do it," the doctor ordered.

In that really long minute, the beeps got quieter and fewer in-between.

"That's better," the doctor remarked.

"Tracy," Jade nudged her sister.

She leaned in close "What is it?"

"I just saw something. It's...not possible."

"What?" Tracy pressed.

"I just saw Tori get a cut...out of nowhere. Like an invisible knife or someth-"

Tracy grabbed Jade by the shoulders and almost shook her silly.

"You're sure?" the blonde asked the brunette.

"I wouldn't believe it either but I know it happened because I fucking saw it." Her tone was deathly serious.

The sisters looked at the helpless girl in the bed.

"She's in trouble," Jade said. "I can feel it."

"Jade." Tracy swallowed before continuing. "Come with me; where we can talk privately. There's something you need to know."

Chapter Text

As always, please leave your reviews. I really want to know what you thought about this chapter.

"Tracy," Jade nervously said, sitting down in one of the lounge rooms. Hospitals have these windowless rooms with beds so doctors "on call" can crash until they are needed, a lot like a firehouse. Luckily for the two sisters, this one was deserted. "What is this all about?"

The blonde took the deepest breath she had ever taken. This was not going to be easy. When she was younger, she was able to wrap her mind around the insanity when insane shit was going on all around her. But she wasn't confident that Jade had seen sufficient to accept for what she was about to unload.

"Jade," Tracy sat down herself. "Years ago, I was probably very little, if at all. There was this man."

Jade leaned in, blue-green eyes not blinking.

"His name…" Tracy sighed. "His name was Fred Krueger. He was a child molester and murderer. The cops got him and he was tried but then he got let go over a technicality. Any evidence against him was thrown out; couldn't be used."

"Then what happened?"

"A bunch of parents; some were parents of the victims, stormed Krueger's abandoned boiler room. It was his lair, you see."

Gooseflesh sprang all over Jade's body. She remembers her own nightmare about a defunct boiler room that despite itself was sweltering and smoking. She can still recall how it smelled.

"The mob started a fire," Tracy continued. "It consumed the whole place and they made sure that Krueger was trapped inside."

"And he died…right?" Jade asked.

Tracy hesitated and then slowly shook her head. "No. I mean, he did but somehow he didn't stop there."

"The fuck does that mean?"

"Well, little by little, all of the children in Springwood, Illinois were dying. I'm talking little kids, teenagers, all of them."

Jade's eyes widened.

"Very, very few of us survive to this day. The smart ones moved away before the evil could consume them. Nobody in that town believed in ghosts but believe me of those people didn't know a bad place when they saw one. Something evil but containable has grown into some kind of…force. And it continued to grow powerful and now I'm afraid it is no longer chained to Springwood."

"How does Fred Krueger get to kill again?"

"Unlike a lot of serial killers, he knows his game of choice. His problem was finding the ideal hunting ground." Tracy started rolling up the sleeves of her jacket. "And he found it…in the dream world."

Jade recoiled at the sight of the second-degree burns on Tracy's wrists.

"How did…?" Jade stuttered.

"I burned my arms over a fire…to wake myself up. It was the only way I could get away from him."

Jade exhaled and laid back on the bed she was sitting on. She stared at the ceiling, mouth agape.

"Are you telling me that this dead guy is going after us in our dreams?"

"And I'm afraid that Tori is trapped in a scenario where waking up is impossible. If she doesn't wake up…" Tracy stopped in her tracks from finishing that sentence because she could see Jade turning whiter than usual.

"What…" the Goth cowered against the wall, holding onto herself. "What the fuck do we do, Tracy?" A single tear slid down her cheek. "I don't like feeling this way," Jade said shaking her head.

"What do you mean?" Tracy asked.

"This helpless feeling. I see Tori lying there and she's in big trouble and there's nothing I can fucking do!" The tears flowed more profusely now. "My girlfriend is in a coma and she's fair game for, lack of a better term, a ghost!"

Tracy went over to Jade and held her close, stroking her hair.

"It's okay," Tracy assured her baby sister. "We'll think of something."

Jade didn't say anything and neither did her. As far as Tracy was concerned, she didn't know what to do. Years ago, she was so sure that they killed Freddy and it turned out he tricked them all.

Beck held the photo of him and Jade from last summer at the beach. They both seemed so happy there. He gritted his teeth and threw the picture away.

"Very smooth moron," he told himself. "As usual."

He stared at the picture and got up from his bed and picked up the photo. Beck sighed and thumbtacked it back onto his corkboard. He stepped back and folded his arms, regarding the picture.

"She's gone," he said shaking his head. "I shou-"

Beck fell down, hitting the floor of his RV hard. He heard the sound of his truck starting.

"Hey!" he shouted, getting up and running to his door. Locked. He began banging and banging on the metal door. "What the hell's going on!"

The RV began to sway back and forth. It was moving. Somebody was stealing his car and RV, with him inside.

"YOU'D BETTER STOP THIS NOW!" A harsh jostle made him bust his head on the wall. He held his right side which was throbbing. "Fuck! STOP THIS RV OR YOU'LL BE SORRY! I SWEAR TO GOD."

Suddenly, everything calmed down. Beck kept trying the door but it wouldn't budge. He went to one of his windows. They were reinforced and bulletproof so there was no use going through these but maybe he could assess where the thief took his RV.

He did a double take when he saw what was outside.

Piles and piles of cars, all dilapidated. Could it be possible? The carjacker took it to the junkyard?

"Son of a bitch is gonna chop shop my-"

Beck jumped when the RV began shaking again. This time it was very different. His eyes widened when he saw the RV was being lifted off the ground.

"NO, WAIT!" he yelled as loud as he could. "I'M IN HERE! I'M IN HERE! STOP!"

He braced himself when he felt the RV drop. The impact sent everything falling from their shelves. Beck cut himself on his glass coffee table after it smashed. He winced, pulling a large shard from his side.

A loud whirring noise could be heard outside. Beck looked around, scared out of his mind. He then heard horrible crunching sounds all around him. The walls started pushing their way in.

"OH SHIT!"

There was nowhere to escape from the crushing metal box.

He howled in pain as his surroundings drew so close; his bones were breaking, his insides flattening.

Beck fell out of his bed, blood pouring from his mouth. The gleam in his eyes had left.

"Beck, honey" his mom knocked on the RV door. "Are you asleep?"

"Can we stop him?" Jade finally dared to ask. "I want to hear the words, Tracy. Can we?"

Tracy sighed. "I don't know. Freddy is just so…intangible. You have to understand: where he is, Jade, he is limitless."

"I'll kill Krueger myself. He'll keep going after Tori like a coward but I'd like for him to even try and go for me. I'll show that burned bastard!"

"Jade?" a familiar voice called out.

The dark-haired girl saw David standing by the door.

"Mr. Vega…" she stumbled. "What are y-" Jade stopped herself before asking the stupid question of why he was at the hospital.

"Jade…" his voice was unlike anything Jade had heard before. He was worried about his daughters but the way he sounded now was straight fear, like a child at the top of the stairs leading to a deep dark basement. "Did you say Krueger?"

Tracy and Jade exchanged wide-eyed glances.

"As in…Fred Krueger?" he asked.

"How do you know about him?" Tracy asked.

David looked around and shut the door behind him, making sure it was only the three of them.

"I used to live in a town called Springwood, Ohio" he told Jade. "My family moved to California when I was almost a teenager. This guy named Fred Krueger kidnapped and murdered a bunch of kids I grew up with."

Tracy stood up. "Yeah, and he was arrested and released. Then he 'mysteriously died.' I told her the story."

"But I know something you probably don't," he shot at Tracy. "I was the last…"

Jade squinted. "The last what?"

"I was…his last victim."

Chapter Text

A/N: N ow, let us dive right into Chapter #10.

Make sure that you read the end very carefully. It is not a typo. Think having all this supernatural stuff with Freddy is crazy enough? We're about to get even more batshit insane.

Please review and tell me what you thought about this one; I'm nervous because it doesn't exactly change the story's direction but rather expands the world. It might even affect the genre, I don't know.

Just trust me with this.

;-)

David Vega hadn't heard or spoken of Fred Krueger since he was little. He was one of the seven students from Mrs. Ibsen's second grade class that were threatened by the father of Katherine.

He was also one of the few kids that gave a prerecorded statement in chambers with the judge. Had the Springwood Police Department not gimped up the search warrant, it would have been admissible as witness testimony.

After the trial had ended and Krueger walked the streets once more, David's parents moved far away from that town. As far as they could. Once you get to California, you run out of country. Next thing he knew, his family settled in Los Angeles. While the bustling metropolis didn't seem like the ideal place to raise a family, the Vegas have tried the small town thing and look where that ended up.

Here, LA is too big for another Fred Krueger to gain the trust of the neighbors. Here, everyone hides behind their locked doors and windows. It was not a way of living people liked, but it was healthy enough for David's parents.

That was his biggest influence to become a police officer. He wanted to protect other children, like his friends and classmates. Like him.

"Mr. Vega," Jade looked at the father of the girl she loved. "What are we gonna do?"

"Tori needs to wake up," Tracy stated. "Being in a constant slumber like that, it's like leaving the gate wide open with a coyote lurking about."

The three of them step out of their little space and proceed down the corridor.

"Come on," David said, motioning for the sisters to follow him to the elevators. They enter through the metal doors and he presses for the ground floor. "I could go for a coffee."

He didn't even have to ask if Jade wanted some and if this Tracy was indeed blood, she would be a coffee drinker as well.

At the little café in the lobby of the hospital, Tracy and David were seated at a small table while Jade went back up to the hapless kid behind the counter. You don't screw up Jade West's coffee.

It gave those two time to talk for a minute.

"I have to admire you for staying," David said sincerely. "You know, in Springwood."

Tracy raised her brow. "Not much of a choice at all. It's easy when nobody wants you. Once you've turned eighteen, the system doesn't give a shit about you until you decide to join a community college. Or the military. I swear, you know, I saw so many undeserving people get such a sweet deal and they don't appreciate it. Meanwhile, someone else just wants the basics: food, a roof, a family – and they have to make damn sure that you're gonna make a contribution to the greater good. Fuck all that," she sneered.

David was beside himself. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…"

"It's alright; just a sore subject for me. The important thing, I guess, was it worked out for Jade. She got away. She got to live a normal life."

"That was the other thing," David smiled. "You did everything for your little sister. You didn't know much about her but you were compelled with this sense of duty. You'd be surprised how many parents don't show the compassion you have."

Tracy folded her arms. "Oh, I'm pretty sure that I can." She looked to her left. "They finally get it right?"

David turned to see Jade sit down between them at the little round table.

"Yeah, finally" Jade huffed. "How hard is two sugars, no cream?"

Tracy shook her head. "I swear, these Starbucks hipsters have killed coffee. Every time I go to one of these places it's double mocha lattes, iced cappuccinos, et cetera…where's the fucking coffee?"

"I'll drink to that…" David raised his cup.

Now, fully charged; Jade, Tracy and David went back up to the floor where Tori was still being held. Right when the doors were about to close, Jade swore she saw Mrs. Oliver running frantically through the emergency doors.

"You alright?" Tracy asked Jade.

"I don't know," she said, digging out her phone. "Hey Andre?...No, still at the hospital; I'm not leaving you shou….well listen first…..have you talked to Beck lately?"

The elevator doors opened and Jade charged out, leaving Tracy and David behind.

"Because I just saw his mom run into the emergency entrance. Did something happen?"

Jade fell to the floor, almost hyperventilating. It took a lot for her to hold onto her phone. She could have easily dropped it. She began to sob when her sister and David found her.

"Jade," Tracy quickly went down to her aid.

"What happened?" David asked, crouched down.

"He's dead," she whispered.

"Who Jade?" Tracy asked.

"Beck."

"The boy from the other day?" she asked to clarify.

Jade held onto herself nodding. "Andre said that when he heard ambulances arrived, he rushed right over. Once there, he saw a black bag being loaded into the ambulance."

David and Tracy exchanged looks. He understood that meant dead at the scene. They both also understood that even though Beck was intolerable lately, it didn't change what feelings Jade did have back then. He was still considered a friend in some ways. They don't have to be a saint for their death to be a tragedy. Jade had many firsts with Beck and that's not something you easily forget.

The older sister and the cop hugged Jade, giving her the time she needed until she was able to walk.

Once Jade got to her feet, David and Tracy were helping her with moving. She was still in shock from the news. But the blaring of an alarm sent nurses and orderlies running alongside residents toward where Tori's room was.

"What's going on?" David yelled.

His face went white with horror when he saw Trina clinging to the wall like an insect. She was screaming bloody murder and she kept hiding her face. They watched cuts form on her back and begin to bleed.

"I thought she couldn't move," one nurse commented.

"It's Freddy," Tracy whispered to Jade. "We need to wake her up."

Jade quickly pushed one of the nurses aside and grabbed a needle and jammed it into her foot. Trina let out a terrible shriek and opened her eyes, falling immediately back onto the bed.

She writhed in agony from moving so much as well as falling hard on her injuries.

One doctor looked at Jade and said, "I don't know what the hell you did but that snapped her out of it."

"What happened doctor?" David asked, furious and frightened.

"I honestly don't know, Mr. Vega" He pointed to his daughter. "I've never seen this before. How did she start to bleed like that?"

The cop and the two sisters looked at one another.

David Vega looked out the window. Trina has been asleep, exhausted from her ordeal, but no repeat of before.

"Jade?" David asked.

"Yeah," she responded.

"This is all…insane, isn't it?"

Jade shrugged "Except it's very real."

"My father used to say that sometimes the crazy ideas need to be considered."

"What are you talking about?" Tracy asked.

"What I saw back there, Tracy" he sighed. "I can't deny. It was real. He is real. Somehow."

Tracy took Jade's hand. "It doesn't seem likely that we can kill him, you know."

David nodded. "But maybe…we can get her out."

"How?" Jade raised an eyebrow.

"There's a man I have read about. Lives right here in LA. If there's a man alive who knows more about dreams, it's him."

His eyes widened and he rushed over to the counter where his phone was charging.

"What are you doing now?" Jade asked.

"Doing a little research, maybe call in a favor if I have to; I need to find out his address." David licked his lips. "Shouldn't be too difficult, he was wanted for murder a while back."

Tracy folded her arms. "WHAT?"

David parked in front of a nice-looking house. He checked the address on his scrap of paper and got out of the car. He walked up the stone walkway to the front door and knocked.

He didn't hear anything and tried again.

The door slowly creaked open and a man about his age answered. He looked a little tired. Then again, it was seven in the morning.

"Who are you?" the man asked groggily. "It's morning."

David checked his watch. "Oh, my God. I'm so sorry. I was just…" he extended his hand. "My name is David Vega. I am an officer for the Los Angeles Police Department."

The man of the house stiffened. Even if he hadn't done his research, David could tell from his posture that this man has dealt with the authorities in the past.

The blond-haired man in the doorway cracked his neck and composed himself. "What can I do for you, Officer Vega?"

"Depends," David cleared his throat. "Are you Dominic Cobb?"

Cobb reluctantly nodded. "Is there a problem?"

"Yes. And I need your help."

The nervous blond looked around the neighborhood outside.

"What is this?" he asked David.

"Maybe we should talk inside."

"Okay, I guess" Cobb stepped aside and opened his door wide.

Chapter Text

A/N: So, yeah. We have  Victorious ,  A Nightmare on Elm Street  and now  Inception . Because, why not?

That's what's so cool about FF. We can do anything we want!

So thrilled to see you guys are on board with where we're going with this story.

Sorry this chapter's a little on the short side but I wanted to have this scene stand alone. It really gives Tori's dad time to shine and it also refreshes everyone who hasn't seen Inception in a while.

P.S. - If you haven't seen Inception yet, I promise to keep spoilers to a minimum because I understand that movie isn't very old.

David Vega sat across from Dominic Cobb in the man's home just outside the metro area. The two men sat in uncomfortable silence for a few seconds in the living room until Cobb spoke first.

"Mr. Vega…" he began.

David held up his hand. "Please call me David."

"Okay, David." Cobb leaned back in his chair, regarding the visitor on the couch in front of him. "What can I do for you?"

"It might be surprising of you to hear this but I'm not actually here on police business."

Cobb blinked, his face resting on his hand. He had a feeling that he was safe. When Mr. Saito arranged for his ticket back into America after helping him with the Fischer Affair, he also provided him with terrific legal counsel. He was on probation for fleeing the authorities but he was exonerated for the murder charges against his wife.

Now a free man, he fell into a government job using his extraction technique for terrorist interrogation. He continues to this day asserting that the act of "inception" is more theory than practice. The truth is it does work but he has experienced the dangerous and irreversible risks involved first hand.

Cobb picked up his cup of coffee, moving his hand back and forth causing the hot liquid to spin clockwise. "Then what brings you to my house early in the morning?"

David leaned forward. "My daughter is in a coma. She…she was in an accident."

The blond man nodded and raised an eyebrow. "You know," he smiled. "You actually weren't the first to ask this of me."

"No," David shook his head. "This isn't what you think exactly."

"And what makes you say so?" Cobb asked.

"Because the same thing happened to me other daughter. She was asleep when it happened."

Cobb sat up straighter in his chair. "I'm listening."

"I don't know how to begin to explain what is going on lately. It all seems impossible, really." David cleared his throat and looked at Cobb with dead seriousness. "But what I saw with my own two eyes I couldn't deny. And ten other people saw it happen, too."

That last sentence made Cobb's eyes widen with great interest. Usually nobody starts a story with a statement like that unless they are afraid no one will believe them.

"So what happened to your daughters, Vega?" Cobb closed his eyes at his error. "I mean David."

David rubbed his hands together. "It looked like…someone or something was attacking them. My youngest Tori had these bruises on her wrists and some nasty cuts on her legs. I've been a cop for fifteen years, Cobb. I know what these markings symbolize. Her girlfriend was always close by. Nobody harmed her and obviously she couldn't have done it to herself."

Cobb nodded for David to keep going.

"Anyway," David continued. "Just yesterday I saw my oldest Trina…fighting and kicking with all her might…and her eyes were shut. Then once we pricked her awake, everything stopped and she was back to normal. I saw her back get cut up out of nowhere. It was like there was a knife and we couldn't see it even if we were looking right at it."

Cobb sipped the last of his coffee and the clinking of the mug landing on the table was the only sound that fell in the large room.

"You're right," Cobb played with his sleeve. "It is impossible."

"But it's true, Cobb. If I made something up, wouldn't I have tried something a little more realistic?"

"Good point. But what would you have me do?" Cobb shrugged.

"Don't be coy. You're the man who took lucid dreaming to unbelievable heights never imagined before. You have gotten to the level that you can affect change in the dream." David leaned in. "Can you?"

Cobb nodded reluctantly. "Yes but it's far from easy."

"Is there a way, Mr. Cobb? Is there a way for us to induce Tori to awaken?"

"Comas are very powerful, David. Now, if I had a particularly strong sedative in the extraction process, I would require an equally strong kick to bring out the dream people."

"Kick?" David tilted his head.

"It's a way of disturbing the sleeper, snapping them back to reality. We just got used to calling it a kick because the more effective techniques were to literally kick the sleeper out of his chair."

David chuckled a little at the mental image. "What a second…we?"

"Right," Cobb stood up and David followed. "I never go in it alone. Too risky. Besides, everyone in the group has their own responsibility on the job."

"Do you still have these people handy?"

Cobb laughed for the first time. "Absolutely not."

"Why?"

"Let's just say the last job was…a little risky. Not that we were friends to start with but Fischer put the nail in the coffin."

"Fischer?" David asked impatiently.

"Long story," Cobb quickly said. "Listen, David, I would love to help you but I'm afraid it's not possible."

"Come on, Cobb" he pleaded. "I need…"

The two men were interrupted by a boy and girl bounding down the stairs and running to Cob.

"Daddy!" the girl said.

"Bye dad," the boy added.

Cobb got down to their level and hugged them tightly. "Miss you guys," he smiled. "Now hurry up" he said while handing them lunch money. "You'll miss the bus. Be good."

"Okay," they both said running out the front door to the waiting yellow school bus.

Cobb closed the door and looked at David who was staring daggers at him.

"I hate to do this to you, Cobb…" David started.

"Don't…" he pointed, shaking his head.

"From one father to another…"

"Stop. Stop this now."

"Dom, they're my girls."

Cobb gripped his hair like he was going to pull it out. "Alright, alright. I'll help you."

"How soon can we start?"

"First I have to get grandpa here to watch the kids when they come home."

"And then what?" David pressed.

Cobb sighed and looked out the window of the living room. "Equipment, sedatives and of course…" he turned to David morbidly. "I have to get the team back together."

Chapter Text

A/N: I have been on cloud 9 since reading your reviews on the last chapter. I was worried this meshing of the different worlds wouldn't fly but it's nice to see everyone's enthusiasm.

;-)

Dominic Cobb and Officer David Vega walked through the illustrious and decadent Millennium Biltmore Hotel in downtown LA. Every luxury hotel had their impressive lobbies but the Biltmore made their jaws drop. Its walls and ceilings were of the finest wood accented with frescoes, gold embellishments and lead crystal chandeliers. It reminded Cobb of Versailles in France. It hit David over the head that he was way under-dressed for a place this highbrow.

The two men stepped into the spacious Sai Sai Noodle Restaurant. David used his influence as a cop to find out the whereabouts of one of their guests. The decor of the establishment was very inviting, heavily influenced by Southeast Asian design. Cobb felt a bit of nostalgia from his days in Japan. He took his mind off such lofty thinking when he made his mark.

"There he is," he whispered to David.

The men surrounded a small table for two but the second chair was vacant, save for a half-drunk glass of wine.

"Arthur," Cobb announced from behind his former colleague.

A tall man of modest facial features and short black hair turned in his seat and regarded the relic with a sneer.

"What do you want?" Arthur asked. "Better question: what the hell are you doing here?"

"This," Cobb gestured to David. "Is David Vega. He is a police officer."

Arthur rolled his eyes and began to get up when Cobb stopped him.

"Well, listen first!" he almost shouted. No matter. People were already looking.

"I don't have to listen to anything, Dom" Arthur stared coldly into his eyes. "We're done. You got what you needed. You got your life back so why don't you let me enjoy mine?"

"Look," David interjected, talking to Arthur. "I just met Dom here and I don't know anything about you aside from what he told me on the ride here. But I can easily assess that the last them you guys were around each other, it wasn't very pleasant."

Arthur adjusted his blazer. "You don't much about Dominic Cobb, do you Vega?"

"What?" he asked, looking at Cobb.

"That he put all of us at risk on the Fischer job."

David started getting impatient. "Who is Fischer?"

"It's not important," Arthur said. "Cobb is a driven man but sometimes that's his downfall."

"That's why I need you Arthur," Cobb got in his face. "You help the job stay on its course."

"Dom?"

David and Cobb turned to see Ariadne, looking rather fetching in a simple black dress. Then they look at Arthur.

"Ariadne," Cobb smiled, taking her hand and shaking it. "It's nice to see you again."

"Um, yeah" she smiled nervously. "Arthur? Why is he here?"

"I'm David," Mr. Vega butted in.

"Why are you so surprised to see me?" Cobb asked.

"I just thought you were dead."

He shot a glare at Arthur. "You told her I was dead?"

Arthur shrugged. "What difference did it make?"

"Okay, enough" David sternly told them, holding two chairs. "We're all adults here and time is not on our side." He placed the two chairs on the vacant sides of the table, now making it cramped seating for four.

Cobb, Arthur and Ariadne all sat down once David did.

"What's the about?" Ariadne asked.

"Let's just start off with the dreamer is one Tori Vega" Cobb passed a picture to the Arthur and Ariadne to regard.

"She's really pretty," Ariadne said. "Is she the mark?"

"Actually," Cobb looked at David. "Tori here is the dreamer but she's not the mark."

"I don't follow," she looked at them quizzically.

"Then who is the mark?" Arthur asked, intrigued.

"Fred Krueger," David told the duo.

It was shortly past ten at night. Robbie was too tired to make it to the next movie on the Sci-Fi channel monster marathon, so he turned down his bed and was about to turn off the light when he noticed something was wrong.

"Rex?" he asked, searching his room. His room was relatively neat and orderly, so it didn't take long for him to see that his puppet wasn't there.

Robbie backed up, looking left and right. He startled himself when he bumped into the desk by the window, knocking over the books he had standing up. Cleaning the mess, he took a glance outside and down in the backyard he saw Rex. It looked a little creepy because he was sitting on his childhood swing.

The curly-haired boy put on his jacket and went into the yard. He picked up the puppet from the swaying swing.

"What are you doing out here?" he asked his wooden friend. "Don't remember leaving you..."

Robbie almost dropped Rex at the sudden sound of something scraping on wood. It sounded close. He couldn't see anything near the one big tree. It must have come from the other side of the picket fence.

He was about to go inside when he heard the scraping again.

"Who's there?" he yelled.

The sound stopped and even the wind did, too. The big tree stood motionless.

Robbie gulped at the stark silence and thought it best to get back inside. He turned and was struck with a hard, agonizing pain in his side. Dropping Rex, Robbie held onto his bleeding wounds, squirming on his back.

His eyes widened when he saw Rex crawling on his own, standing on his chest. Robbie saw that something was wrong with Rex's right hand. It had long, shiny silver razors coming out of the fingertips.

They were covered in blood. His blood.

Before Robbie could react, the puppet laughed and stabbed him in this chest. Blood quickly spurted from his mouth.

"I'll bet you're good at throwing your voice," Krueger said through the dummy's mouth. Rex made a swift slash with his claw and cut Robbie's throat wide open, sending his vocal chords flying amid the fountain of blood.

Robbie rolled onto his stomach, blood dripping profusely from his neck, chest and mouth. He held up his body from the ground with one hand and in vain tried to stop the bleeding with the other but it was no use.

Feeling the heaviness set in, the boy gave up and Robbie Shapiro fell to the cold ground dead.

"ROBBIEEEE!" Cat sat up like a shot from her own bed. She clutched her chest which was beating like heart was going to explode.

A single tear fell along the contours of her cheek.

"No," she whispered.

Chapter Text

"What is this?" Tracy asked.

David Vega walked down the corridor toward Tori's room with five strangers trailing behind him.

"Mr. Vega?" Jade asked. "Who are these people?"

"These guys are gonna help Tori," he looked at Cobb. "I hope."

"You must be Jade," Cobb shook the Goth's hand. "I am Dominic Cobb; you can call me Dom."

"Arthur," the tall thin man introduced himself. "All you need to know is that Dom is the only one who knows how to get into Tori's dream and we're the ones insane enough to follow him."

"Ain't that the truth," the larger-framed man with slicked-back hair emerged. He took one look at Tracy and leaned back. "Beautiful," he breathed.

"Hold it right there, stud" Tracy shook her head. "Not every woman falls to pieces at the hint of an accent."

"Wow," the brick shithouse sighed. "That's never happened before."

"And that is why Eames is the ideal pretender," Ariadne grinned, patting Tracy on the shoulder. "Because there's not much depth in the real him to get in the way."

Eames pointed to the source of the insult. "Ariadne over there fancies herself the comedienne. She's just an architect, my dear; a one trick pony. I on the other hand can be anything you want me to be."

"Can you be silent?" Jade snapped.

Cobb laughed and even Arthur grinned. "Ooh," the blond mastermind nodded. "I like her."

Arthur brought a table to the middle of the room while David, Eames and another man with glasses helped grabbed every spare piece of furniture: two chairs, a couch and an empty hospital bed. On the table, Arthur put up a stainless steel briefcase and opened it to reveal a gizmo this side of Star Trek.

"What is all this?" Tracy asked.

Jade raised an eyebrow. "Looks like a game console."

Ariadne giggled and found an outlet for the device. "I assure you…it isn't."

Arthur helped with Ariadne's hookup and then began to prep his own.

"I don't get it," Jade looked on bemused. "What's happening here?"

"Jade," David put his hands on her shoulder trying to calm her down. "These people are professionals. If anybody can get Tori back to us, they can."

Eames went over to initiate his connection to the machine.

"I'm going with you," Jade said firmly.

Cobb's team looked at one another.

"I don't think that's a good idea," Arthur responded. "We've had bad luck with tourists."

Jade folded her arms. "It wasn't a question."

"You better let her go, too" Tracy insisted. "And that goes for me."

Jade looked at Tracy. "No."

"I'm older and I can do what I want. I will look after my baby sister. Besides, nobody else here has faced this Krueger guy and lived more often than me."

"What do you think, Dom?" Ariadne asked him.

Cobb took a deep breath and pondered for a few seconds.

"Let's get you two haloed," he said throwing up his hands.

Jade pointed to the Indian man with glasses. "I didn't catch your name."

"This is Yusuf," Cobb gestured toward the darker-skinned fellow.

"And what do you do?" Jade asked.

"I am the chemist," he said proudly with a smile.

Jade tilted her head. "And what does that mean?"

Yusuf set down his bag and unzipped it only to unravel dozens of test tubes and fresh, disposable syringes. "When dealing with lucid dreaming, ladies; it is imperative that the unit be properly and effectively sedated."

"You're gonna put us all under?" Tracy folded her arms.

"Feeling tired? Didn't think so. See, my cocktail can trick the mind into sleeping even when the body's not tired."

"You can't just go to sleep?" Jade asked. "You know, beforehand?"

Cobb shook his head. "For the kick to work, your body needs to be completely alert. If things get really bad in the dream, we need to be able to wake you up quickly and completely."

Yusuf spritzed a little solution from a syringe, holding it intently. "So, heavy sleepers rejoice. Now, who's first?"

"Is…is it safe?" Jade asked nervously.

"Absolutely," Yusuf nodded.

"How are you sure?" Tracy asked suspiciously.

"Because I made it myself. I know this formula inside and out." Yusuf studied the worried faces of the two sisters. "Look it, the worst side effect I have come across was probably a bad case of cottonmouth."

Tracy nodded. "Designed it yourself, huh? Is it regulated, like FDA?"

"Would it put you mind at ease if I said it was?"

Jade and Tracy nodded.

"Then it is."

Cobb chuckled and took the two by their hands.

"Okay, into the hot seat."

Jade laid down as Cobb strapped her head with the "halo" which was a mishmash of wires and electrodes connecting her mind to the portable mainframe from which they will all collectively enter and launch themselves into the dreamer's mind.

"I don't know about this," Jade said to Cobb. "I'm scared."

"Frankly, Miss West" Cobb said. "I don't know what is waiting for us in there. All we can do is stay together."

Yusuf entered her view with the shot ready to go. "You okay?"

Jade looked between the two men and saw the love of her life laying helpless in that bed, not knowing if she was moments from death.

"Do it," Jade said, single tear falling from her blue-green eye.

Once Cobb finished doing a once around for Jade, Tracy, Arthur, Ariadne, and Eames; he sits down himself and Yusuf helped him with his own halo. He didn't bat an eye to the prick of the syringe; he's done this so many times before.

Yusuf stood in the center of the circle.

"Alright, kids" he said, taking out his watch. "People typically start feeling the effects at around ten seconds."

Tracy took Jade's hand.

"Ten…"

Jade squeezed it so hard.

"Nine…"

The most random thing popped in Jade's head.

"Eight…"

It was Poe; something she read a long time ago but never forgot it.

"Seven…"

Deep into that darkness peering

"Six…"

Long I stood there, wondering,

"Five…"

Fearing,

"Four…"

Doubting,

"Three…"

Dreaming dreams

"Two…"

No mortal ever dared to dream before.

"One…"

Chapter Text

A/N: Thanks for all the great reviews so far. Now I'd like to kick off this chapter with a question. This has actually been bugging me for a while:

Should I edit the genre and description for this story? Do you think I should let future readers in on the whole  Inception  angle or should I just keep it a surprise?

Please tell me what you believe is the best way. Obviously, you guys are super cool and went along with the twist but I'm afraid some might not be so receptive at the sudden turn we took.

Speaking of which; too much doom and gloom lately, huh? So I decided to cram a little brief Jori smut in the beginning. Tell me if it makes you hungry LOL.

;-)

Jade rubbed her arms, shivering from the sudden cold.

The bright white hospital vanished and was replaced with a dark, frigid forest.

"Jade?" Ariadne asked. "Is this typical for Tori?"

She shook her head. "I can't imagine why she would even dream like this. She doesn't like scary stuff."

Jade smiled to herself, remembering several times when Jade was struggling to get Tori to watch a scary movie with her. She remembered one night when the two of them couldn't find anything on TV and the DVD player was busted. So Jade dug out an old VHS of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and hooked up the old VCR. The case clearly showed it was a well-watched tape. Jade actually preferred it that way; old horror movies looked better dark and grainy. Tori popped the popcorn and cautiously sat next to Jade.

The Latina was a little tense during the first few minutes because of the style of the movie. But when the teens picked up that hitchhiker; Tori buried her face in Jade's onyx locks. Not that she minded; when Tori was nervous, she would breathe, hard. And that close to her neck, Jade practically melted. Tori never looked at the screen but whenever there was a scream or the sound of a chainsaw, she would grip tighter.

After being too enamored by the heat on her neck and Tori getting handsy with Jade's chest; it didn't take long for the couple to start heavily making out. The next they knew, Leatherface was dancing with his chainsaw in the sunrise and the movie was over.

"If this is how it always ends up," Tori panted. "I could get used to watching scary movies."

"Then you're gonna like this," Jade grinned as she took the remaining popcorn, still warm because it was a new batch, and poured it all over a topless Tori laying on the couch. The Goth then proceeded to eat the buttery puffy kernels with her tongue.

"You get free refills with that?" Tori giggled as Jade's delicate touch tickled her something awful.

But this wasn't like that, Jade told herself. This wasn't fun because it wasn't all a movie. Tori was in trouble here.

Here the monsters are real.

Tracy looked at Arthur and Cobb. "So tell me, how often have you guys done this."

The two former associates exchanged glances.

"Too many," Arthur admitted.

"What exactly did you guys do?" she asked.

"We specialized in grand subconscious theft and extortion." Cobb replied. "Mostly corporations."

He was comfortable discussing matters of extraction but he remained tight-lipped about "inception" because it is still a touchy subject within the group.

Tracy let out a frustrated sigh. "I don't think you and your super friends understand what you're dealing with. Freddy Krueger is not a dreamer; he is the dream. You can't kill something that's already dead."

"We know," Cobb smiled at her. "Nobody said that was the plan."

"Then what are we doing?" Tracy pressed.

"A search and rescue, love" Eames butted in.

"And how are you gonna do that?" she shot at the big lug who fancies himself the lady killer.

"Yusuf is administering a drug that will alter Tori's body temperature and heart rate."

Jade jumped between them, staring at Eames. "Will that hurt her?"

"With matters of the comatose," Eames putting his shoulders on the Goth to make her relax. "A very extreme kick is called for."

"But how many..."

Jade's words were cut off by Tracy raising her hand for the whole group to be quiet.

"You hear that?" she asked in a loud whisper.

The crunching and snapping of underbrush can be heard but it was hard to determine where it was coming from.

"Over there!" Eames pointed behind the group.

"No there," Jade called out to the right of where they were standing.

"I hear it here," Arthur pointed to the left side.

Cobb looked around. "Either we're surrounded or someone's trying to confuse us."

"I don't like either one," Ariadne said. "It means we're not in control here."

"We know what to do when that happens," Cobb said to encourage his crew. "Think of this Krueger guy as a projection trained to stop us."

Arthur sniffed sarcastically. "Yeah, except the only difference is if he kills one of us we die for real."

"Explain to me how that works," Eames said.

"Simple," Tracy replied. "He's a fucking ghost."

"Shouldn't a medium do this shit?" Eames asked and then reached into his coat and produced a semi-automatic. "Then again," he shrugged. "I suppose a psychic doesn't pack heat like this."

"Let's not get distracted," Tracy warned. "Keep moving. Somewhere out there is Tori."

Jade nodded, grateful for her newly-discovered big sister. She understood the appeal of having such a thing in her life. Even though they butted heads once or twice, Jade was envious of Tori having Trina.

"You heard our guide," Cobb stated. "Let's move."

Chapter Text

A/N: DOUBLE UPDATE TODAY, so read the next chapter after this one!

Here we go, people. Let me know what you think about the end of the chapter.

"Oh shit," Ariadne exclaimed.

"What is it?" Tracy asked.

"This is the same tree we've passed."

"How can you possibly know that?"

Ariadne pointed at the arbor. "See that? I purposely designed a very specific carving on the bark of that tree. It's the same one."

"But we've been walking straight, right?" Eames asked.

"Oh fucking hell," Jade groaned. "We've been going in circles."

"No we haven't," Cobb morbidly stated. "The landscape's changing."

"Is there anything we can do?" Arthur asked Cobb but really asking Ariadne.

"I don't fucking get it!" Jade kicked at the dirt, sending it flying in a brown puff. "This is Tori's dream!"

"But it's his rules, Jade" Tracy folded her arms. It sent shivers through her body, recalling that bout she had with Freddy in the nightmare inspired by her abusive father's shitty apartment. Krueger said the same shit to her. The memory immediately made her rub the raw burn marks on her wrists.

"I know I'm going to be lynched for this," Eames interjected pointing his finger upward. "But perhaps we should split up."

They all stare at him.

"You are fuck-crazy!" Jade protested.

"Wait," Tracy stepped forward. "He may have a point."

Eames straightened up his button shirt and put his best smug face on.

"A very small point but an apt one."

Eames shrugged and accepted the compliment, warts and all.

"With Krueger pulling the strings," Arthur said. "Our mission is futile if we remain a single, slow, large target."

"But if we divide into units of two," Cobb nodded. "Then we have a chance. We cover more of the terrain and Krueger won't be able to divide his attention. His influence in the dream may appear godlike but he is just a man."

Tracy nodded and gave a brave look to Jade, trying to give her some encouragement.

"Jade's with me," Tracy said matter-of-factually.

"Okay," Cobb snapped his fingers. "Arthur and Ariadne, you're a team. And that leaves Eames and myself."

Eames snorted. "Figures; three men, three ladies and I get paired with you."

"Oh, don't worry about it," Tracy sneered as she began to walk away with Jade. "Two of them are spoken for from what I see and none of us can fucking stand you anyway."

Arthur led the way with Ariadne close by.

"What do you make of this place?" she asked him.

"Not much. Redwoods like these are more akin to Northern California while this Tori Vega is supposed to be..." a movement in the brush several yards away made him stop for a second. "...from Los Angeles."

"That's not what I mean," she said nervously. "I mean, where did this place come from? A memory? Something she had seen in a photo?"

"Why do you ask?"

"This forest...doesn't feel right. It's so ethereal. A dream is supposed to deceive the dreamer with reality. No matter the heights on insanity we reach, we fully accept the conditions of a dream. This place is so unreal, how come the dream hasn't collapsed?"

"That's the problem with a coma, I suppose" Arthur mused. "The dream is more of a trap, the sleeper unable to awaken."

"You think Cobb can do it?" Ariadne asked. "You really think he can bring her out?"

Arthur sighed, looking up at the canopy which is shielding much of the light.

"I don't know," he said. "I've never seen him do it before. But...he says he has a plan."

"Somehow that doesn't soothe me."

Tracy and Jade hit a wall. Literally.

Moving through the thickets, they came across a massive brick wall with dark green ivy strewn about. It looked like the building was part of the forest or vice versa.

"I've seen this place before," Tracy remarked. "Even before I saw Freddy with my own eyes for the first time, I was inside this building."

"It's that place isn't it?" Jade gulped. "The steam and fire..."

Tracy nodded. "His own hell designed just for his prey."

"What's that?" Jade asked, narrowing her eyes to focus on the distance.

"Is that?..." Tracy could make out a girl. It looked like...

Jade could have smacked herself had she not been overcome with paralysis. It took some convincing herself, but she was able to move again when she realized what she saw was real.

"TORI!" Jade cupped her hands over her mouth to amplify her voice.

The two sisters began to run over to what they saw.

Tori sat on the steps of the door leading to the bowels of the boiler room. She was gripping the railing so hard all color drained from her knuckles. The Latina looked around, visibly twitching like a startled rodent. She stared at the sky, trying to make out the origin of the sound whilst turning her head around. Jade never seen anything like this before. It was as if Tori was in a trance.

"TORI!" Jade's legs began to gain enough strength to run over to her girlfriend.

The two finally locked eyes mere feet before embracing. Jade got a strong hold of Tori who was still shaking and muttering to herself. The Goth pressed their foreheads together.

"Look at me Tori," Jade said in a sweet but strong tone. "Focus on my eyes. You need to snap out of it."

Cobb mentioned to Jade earlier how time in the dream was compressed roughly twenty times greater than in the real world. So, being in a coma for about three days must have felt like weeks to her. Jade understood why Tori's hair was mussed, her skin dehydrated, and her movement erratic. She has never seen it before in anyone else, but Tori was clearly having signs of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Once can only imagine what it was like to live in fear for that length of time; all alone except for the man trying to kill you.

"It must have been horrible," Jade said, stroking the brown hair of her love seeking one vain attempt after another to comfort her.

Tori's eyes began to seem more focused and she almost scared Jade by falling into her arms.

"Oh, Jade" she whispered.

Jade kissed the top of her head. "It's alright, baby" she cooed. "It's gonna be okay. I promise."

"Oh, god Jade," Tori sniffed. "I was so scared. I thought I was gonna die."

"I thought I'd never see you again," Jade smiled through tears.

Tori's jaw dropped when she saw four steel blade protrude through Jade's stomach.

"JADE!" Tracy screamed.

"I didn't," Freddy grinned emerging from behind her.

He stiffened his arm to bring up his hand, digging deeper into Jade's guts.

Jade fell to the ground, coughing up blood. Tori's screams shook the entire world.

Arthur and Eames ran over to them pointing their guns at the scarred murderer and began firing rounds. Unfortunately, he vanished before their eyes. His menacing laughter echoed.

"JADE! NO! NO!" The Latina shouted as she cradled the pale girl's frame.

"COME ON, JADE" Tracy yelled. "STAY WITH US!"

Steely blue-green eyes glassed over in the reflection of brown ones. Tori didn't think of anything else but doing anything she could to stop what was happening in front of her but her wounds were too great. She regretted having fought with her back at her house.

At this moment Tori didn't care about labels like "girlfriend" or "lover" or "wife."

She didn't care about parents or grandparents or teachers and others who wouldn't understand.

Who needed them anyway?

Tori was willing to walk away from all of it, all of it, if she could just have Jade to hold onto and never let go forever and ever.

But she remembered something she read a long time ago.

"Nothing lasts forever."

The black-haired girl's body fell limp in Tori's arms. As her heart broke, the foundation of the forest began to quake and crumble. Tracy was on her knees screaming at the sky, cursing Freddy Krueger and swearing that she would kill him. But these sounds fell on deaf ears. All Tori could hear was her whole world collapsing.

Then darkness.

Deep darkness.

Chapter Text

A/N: This chapter is shorter than normal but I wanted to end it right before we get to the big climax.

Let me know your thoughts.

;-)

Tori shielded her eyes from the brightness above her. Slowly she mustered enough audacity to peek through her fingers, allowing her eyes to adjust. It didn't help that the room was heavenly white.

"Tori…"

That voice, she thought. I know that voice.

"Tori honey…"

"Dad?"

"Oh my god," David held onto his youngest daughter so tightly. Her body was so tingly with a pins and needles sensation that she neither felt it nor put up much resistance.

"Dad," Tori began groggily. "What's going on?"

"We got you Tori," he beamed. "We got you."

"Hey baby sis," another familiar voice shot across the room. "Good to have you back, Vic."

"Trina!" Tori's mind immediately recalled the accident. "Where are you?"

"In pain but I'll live," she responded.

Tori squeezed her eyes shut hard, tears penetrating through the crevices. She let out a considerable sigh and then started moving her eyes around.

"Dad, who are all these people?" she asked.

"Hi," Cobb touched Tori's hand. "My name is Dominic Cobb. And this is my team," he gestured to the couple people behind him.

"Arthur," he introduced himself.

"And I'm Ariadne," the short brunette smiled.

Her father put his arm around her shoulder. "Tori, these people were the ones that got you out of the coma."

"I…I…I was in a coma?" her eyes confused. "How did you…"

"Dom," Eames called out. "We got a problem here!"

The newcomers vanished from Tori's sight and she tried to make a move for the adjustable bed switch to elevate her. She was still very weak. Her heart sank when she saw Jade in a chair, strapped to various wires and contraptions.

"Jade," she shouted as loud as her raspy voice would allow.

"What's the matter with her?" Tracy folded her arms, narrowing her gaze at Yusuf who was checking her sister.

"Dom," he sounded frazzled. "This is bad."

"What did you do?"

Yusuf stood up and looked gravely at Cobb and Arthur. "I accidentally sedated the wrong one with my premium formula."

"Yusuf!" Cobb yelled. "Tracy was supposed to be the first dream."

"What is going on here?" David demanded.

Cobb sighed and pulled David aside, away from where Tori could hear.

"Given what has been going on with Jade's circle of friends, it was clear that between the six of us inside the dream; it would have been likely for Jade to be the next target."

"Okay…" David nodded.

"To avoid this Krueger guy from harming ANY of us, we had to establish a dream within a dream. We waited until Jade and Tracy fell asleep and sedated them to keep them from waking up too prematurely. Then we jacked them into the lucid dream."

David's wide-eyed gaze showed he was clearly following along but inside his mind was blown to the back of his skull.

"Once inside Tracy's dream, we then invited the two into Tori's dream along with us not knowing that we were already outside the real world."

"That way," Arthur butted in. "If Krueger killed any of us, we would have that safety net."

"Trouble is we were in the wrong sister's dream," Cobb looked daggers at Yusuf.

"I'm sorry, Dom," he panted. "I can't believe I got them mixed up. It was late and I…"

Arthur put up his hand, telling him to be quiet. "It's fine."

"So what do we do?" David asked. "Is Jade okay?"

"She's in limbo," Cobb replied.

"What does that mean?" Tori gritted through her teeth.

The pack of people looked at the awoken patient, realizing they haven't done a good job keeping the conversation down low.

Ariadne leaned over Tori.

"It means that between the powerful sedation and the multiple levels of dreaming, dying traps the sleeper into their subconscious."

"Oh god," Tori covered her mouth. "Now Jade is stuck there?"

"It's more complicated than that," Cobb added. "Since Freddy is not connected to our world, he only exists in a dream, when the dream collapsed; he went into limbo along with Jade."

"There has to be something we can do," Tori insisted.

Cobb nodded. "There is."

"What?" Tori asked teary-eyed.

"I have to go in and get her."

"Alone?" David asked.

"He's the only one that's been there and back again" Arthur said.

"To give you an idea," Ariadne told Tori. "In terms of deep sea diving, limbo is like going into the midnight zone. The risks are greater and there are no guarantees it's gonna work."

"I'm going with you," Tori tried to sit upright.

David shook his head. "Absolutely not, Tori. I almost lost you once. I'm not gonna allow anything to happen again."

"Listen, dad" Tori sobbed. "I love Jade and the least I can do is do the same thing she did for me."

"No. I'm sorry but Cobb will go in it alone. It's too dangerous."

Tori sat back and folded her arms. She refused to look at anyone, especially her father.

"Okay," Arthur acknowledged. "We're ready."

Cobb laid down on the couch, hooked up to go inside Jade's head.

After staying up for 36 hours straight, Mr. Vega collapsed into the chair across the room. Cobb nodded for Yusuf to give the sleeping cop a syringe.

"That should keep him napping."

Tori leaned forward. "What did you do?"

"He'll be alright" Cobb assured Tori. "He'll feel a little queasy when he wakes up but otherwise just fine."

"Why'd you do that?"

"You want to go get your girlfriend, right?"

Tori nodded.

"Oh, wait" Arthur snapped his fingers. "Jade needs to be the second level. Who'll be the first?"

Tracy sat on the floor near the couch. "Use me," she said.

"You're sure?" Cobb asked.

Tracy nodded. "Positive." She turned to Tori. "Go get her." Tori nodded back in agreement.

Cobb smiled at the vibe in the room.

"Let's get it on then."

Chapter Text

A/N: Here is the penultimate chapter. I felt it best if we separated the big climax into two parts, this one beginning with the build up and the last one ending with the denouement.

Take care and please, please leave your feedback.

;-)

Cat sat up in her bed, crying into her pillow. She hasn't left her room since the nightmare where she saw Robbie getting killed. She didn't understand why sometimes she was able to see into someone else's dream and then other times not at all. If only she could have led him out of danger; he might have been still alive.

At first, Cat thought it was only a dream and not the bad kind. Once she woke up she tried Robbie's cell and someone identifying himself as a medical examiner answered. Hours later, her mother stepped up to give her the grim news so it had to be true.

Her mother.

Cat remembered when she was a little girl and sitting at the table with her father and brother. The boys would start talking endlessly about some sort of nonsense while mother and daughter gave knowing smiles while sitting across from one another. She was too young to understand it at the time but they were having private conversations. Cat's mother had a gift. She was able to move in and out of a person's dream and sometimes could bring someone else in.

And since dreams, though irrational on the surface, were windows into the subconscious; Cat and her mom knew what was on their minds even if they never told each other.

"Momma," Cat asked her once. "How can you be in my dream with me?"

She smiled and picked up her daughter and they both sat at the foot of the bed. "Well, honey – I've actually had it for a long time. It's a gift, sweetheart. A very brave girl gave it to me. She saved my life."

Cat's eyes grew wide at the revelation. "Did I meet her?"

Her mother's eyes grew sad and she forced a wise smile. "I'm afraid she passed. She was trying to protect me…well, all of us really."

"From what?"

"Bad things."

"Like what?"

Cat's mom gave her a big bear hug. "I hope to God you never find out."

"Alice?" Cat's father shouted from downstairs. "Where are you?"

"Up here, Dave!" she responded.

Cat's dad sighed and took both females by the hand. "Let's get a move on, ladies; don't want to be late for Jacob's big game."

Alice Valentine, born Alice Johnson, was really fortunate how Dave valued her son from a previous relationship just as much as the girl they had when they got together. He understood the first years were difficult raising him without his father but it wasn't his fault.

He died before he was born in a bizarre traffic accident.

"Okay," Alice smiled at her daughter. "Let's go."

Cat shook her head from the memory of her mom. For a long time, it was a secret between them. But when this monster was terrorizing her friends while they slept, Cat had to find out what it was; even if he scared her to death.

She has attempted to call Jade numerous times but it kept going to voice mail.

She didn't know what else to do so she started drawing with her colored pencils. Cat had a few sketches of Freddy on her bed and she stared at them intently.

"Why won't you leave us alone?" she asked the markings on paper.

Cat questioned her sanity every time she drew the burned man. What was she going to do? Turn them into the police so they could arrest him?

Her thoughts didn't cease even when her bedroom door opened.

"Cat?" her mom asked. "Are you alright?"

"Not really, mom" she replied.

Alice couldn't believe what she was seeing. It was the perfect antithesis to her usually jovial daughter. But she understood the horrible news of a friend dying so suddenly. It still hurt to see her baby so broken. Something laying in front of her daughter made her blood run cold.

"Caterina," she pointed. "What is that?"

Cat looked up, confused. She only heard her full name when she was in trouble but she hasn't done anything.

"What?" she asked.

"THAT!" Alice insisted. "Where did you get that?"

"I drew it."

"How?" she asked.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean where did you see this?"

"In my nightmare."

Those three words made Alice almost faint. She never saw such a thing in what felt like ages.

"Mom…" Cat stood up and approached her mom. "Mom, what's the matter?"

She watched her mother sit down, practically hyperventilating. Alice took Cat's hand and squeezed hard.

"Mom," Cat's voice faltered. "You're scaring me right now."

"Cat listen to me; remember when you were little and asked me about our gift?"

Cat nodded nervously.

"This was the bad man that tried to hurt all of us," she said in all seriousness.

Cat thought she was going to faint. The same man her and her friends saw in their dreams was the same that her mother and her friends saw years ago.

"Mom," Cat started to tear up. "This isn't possible, is it?"

"Honey, you're whole life you are led to believe things until something makes you stop. This man could get to us and kill us in our sleep. So far, nothing convinced me that he didn't exist. And for a long time, I thought at least he could be stopped. For a while, it felt that way. I finally felt safe enough to have my child and then have another."

She touched her daughters face with her hand, softly smiling at those last words.

"Sometimes you see things, even though they defy everything you've learned, you can't deny them because you know they are real. Sometimes the unexplained and the irrational are the reality."

Cat wiped her eyes and looked out her window.

"I know what to do, mom."

"What?"

"I...I...need to visit Tori," Cat lied.

Alice cleared her throat. "You're sure?"

"Yes," she nodded. "I need to make sure she's alright. Jade's probably already there." She looked back at her mom.

"They're your friends, honey; you can't help but worry."

"Right."

Tori proceeded with caution behind Cobb's back. She felt silly about being hesitant in being the guide for this expedition.

After all, it was the mind of her girlfriend.

And her girlfriend happened to be Jade West.

"Hey, Tori...Does Jade like scissors?" Cobb asked.

"Oh yeah," Tori responded looking up.

"Good. Then this should be normal" he inflected the last word as if asking a question.

The two outsiders marveled with awe and a little apprehension of the massive pair of scissors forming a metallic arch. They cautiously pass under them. Cobb couldn't help but think of Virgil leading the reader into the depths of Hell. He shook his head, trying to shake off the thought. This was the mind of a teenage girl and it made him more nervous than when he was asked to go inside the mind of a serial killer.

One thing was for sure, he figured. This Fred Krueger was going to have his work cut out for him.

"Whoa," Tori breathed.

That arch was only the beginning.

It was a virtual field of scissors of varying heights and shapes; all black with shiny silver blade that gleamed against the grey sky. A razor-sharp forest.

Cobb started to lose his footing. The ground was beginning to quake.

"DOM!" Tori called out, grabbing for his hand.

One of the tremors sent the longer half of a large pair overhead crashing down. Cobb pushed Tori away from him as the gargantuan blade bisected the space between them, just missing them both.

"You okay?" he asked.

"I'm fine," Tori clutched her chest. "I thin-"

Her words were cut off by a sinkhole she fell into. Her screams echoed as Cobb ran over to her. Tori was hanging by a branch over a deep abyss. It was pitch black way down there with no sign of a bottom.

"Tori," he grunted trying to reach out to her. "Try to get my hand."

Tori stretched herself and almost slipped off of the branch. "I...can't...reach..."

The earth started to loosen beneath Cobb's body. Before he could react, the two began plummeting into the hole.

Tori and Cobb shrieked their lungs out.

Then the screams stopped...

Chapter Text

A/N: This is it. It's been something else. 

It gets pretty kinetic and I try to use the page break lines to keep the whole "dream within dream" stuff straight since I can't use visuals like the movie does.

Anyways, thanks so much EVERY ONE OF YOU

and enjoy...

see you next time!

;-)

Cobb woke up with a cut on his head. He must have hit it on a rock on the way down. It looked to be some kind of underground cave. After searching for a minute, he located Tori and helped her up trying to keep her head steady.

"Tori, are you alright?" he asked.

"I'll be okay, I think" she winced. "Where are we?"

A shrill scream that echoed through the cave was then met with a livid Jade pinning Tori to a wall. Once she focused and recognized the form as friendly, she hugged her tightly.

"Jade!" Tori said. "Are you okay?"

"No," her speech was right now truncated by a stammer. She was scared beyond belief.

"Where is he?" Cobb asked.

"I...I...think I lost him," Jade sighed holding her chest.

Freddy burst out from behind some rubble and grabbed Cobb by the collar.

"You think these clowns can beat me? You're nothing more than glorified thieves. You have no real power in here."

He turned to Jade.

"Not even you," he sneered.

"But I do," a small voice appeared out of nowhere.

Cat came up from behind Tori. Everyone is shocked to see her.

"Cat, why are you here?" Jade asked.

"A projection?" Cobb asked, looking at Jade.

The redhead turned to the blonde man and narrowed her gaze.

"NO! I'M NOT! I'M REAL!"

"The more fresh meat, the better" Freddy licked his lips.

"Not this time!" Cat brushed past her friends and reached out to touch his face.

Before his knife hand could make contact, his arm stiffened. He looked at the childlike girl with utter horror, dropping Cobb from his grip.

"What are you doing?" he growled.

"What is she doing?" Tori asked Jade.

The raven-haired girl was just as beside herself.

The girl mustered up her courage to look the devil in the eye. "It's time for your nightmare, Freddy!" Cat exclaimed.

Freddy's let out a horrible scream and everything got dark.

Tori, Jade, Cat and Freddy were dangling from a rope suspended over about a hundred maniacs. They were in some kind of asylum where the ceiling stretched forever.

The madmen below were salivating at the tantalizing nubile young women just hanging like meat in a butcher's window.

Freddy sneered as he saw that he was the furthest up the rope and begun to playfully cut the fibers one by one.

"NO!" Jade screamed, she looked down at her helpless Tori below her, dangling over hell itself. The things she imagined they had in store for them was too difficult to fathom.

She climbed her way up the rope, but Freddy tries to stomp her hands when she gets close enough.

Using the distraction, Tori grabs a hold of the rope and starts to ascend it herself.

"Hold on Tori" she heard Cat's voice.

Suddenly, Tori felt the rope leave her hands and she shut her eyes, preparing for the worst.

After coaxing herself, Tori opened her eyelids and saw that she was still holding onto the rope only this time she was above Krueger. She jabbed her heel into his temple, sending him falling but he gains a grip once again. Only now he's face to face with the last person he wanted to see.

"Suck it bitch!" the Goth spat.

Jade raised her hand and, with open scissors, stabbed Freddy in the eye. She gritted her teeth and because this was a dream; Jade was able to exhibit enough force to break the sharp blade in half, leaving a large piece of shiny shrapnel protruding from his face.

The would-be Springwood Slasher howled in the agony this 120 lb. brunette just unleashed.

Looking from above; Cobb cuts the rope, sending the girls and Freddy hurtling to the bottom.

Tori and Jade wake up with a start. Cat smiles, standing over them.

"Are we okay?" Tori asked the redhead.

"I got you two out in time," she smiled back. "But we're not done yet."

"What do you me-" Jade stopped when the girl she was talking to vanish before her eyes.

"And she's gone," Tori sighed. She turned to Cobb. "Why is she gone?"

Eames almost dropped his remote when a petite redhead manifested out of thin air.

"Hi," she waved.

"Hey," he said nervously. "Who are you?"

"I'm Cat," she grinned looking at her sleeping friend. "You gonna wake Jade up now?"

Eames chose to not argue with the bubbly apparition and initiate the kick for Jade's dream. He had her body wired to receive a mild electric jolt to wake up.

He gave the button a press and the hospital room melted away around them.

As Arthur witnessed Jade opening her eyes, he shakes Tori awake and kicks Cobb's leg.

"Ow, fuck!" Cobb blurted out after hitting the floor. "Couldn't think of a more gentle method, Arthur?"

The thin man folded his arms. "I don't do gentle."

Tracy sat up, pulling off her electrodes. "Did it work?" She leaned over to see Tori sitting up, lost in Jade's arms. She smiled at the embracing girls.

"I am not doing this again," Cobb shook his head.

"What's with him?" Tracy asked, indicating the sleeping Officer Vega.

"Oh, him?" Cobb replied. "He's fine. He'll wake up in a little bit from my calculation. We'll be long gone."

"Thank God," Eames added. "Well Tracy, dear" the big lug grinned. "It's been fun but I must be off."

"All good things to those who wait," she shot back.

Eames, Arthur and Ariadne filed out, waving to Tori who mouthed the words "Thank You," unable to break her union with Jade.

Yusuf and Cobb packed up their arsenal and began to leave but Dom hesitated.

"How you holding up?" he asked the couple.

"In heaven," Tori told Jade's ear. "But it still hurts a lot."

"Thanks," Jade said misty-eyed. "For everything."

Cobb nodded. "Happy to help. You know; your dad was right, Tori. You two look cute together. Bet you're gonna start a family one day."

Tori shrugged and Jade shot him a look.

Cobb took out a top from his pocket and spun it on the snack tray. After a few seconds, it toppled over. He smiled.

"What's that?" Jade asked.

Cobb shrugged. "A reminder...about how delicate this all is and not to take anything for granted."

"We won't" Tori said sincerely. "Not anymore."

"Good," he replied, scooping up his totem and putting it in his pocket. "You guys take care."

And with that Dominic Cobb was out the door and as far as he was concerned, he never met anyone by the name of David Vega nor anyone of relation to him. And vice versa. Discretion is how he always liked it.

After a few moments of holding and kissing one another, the two began to notice they were being watched. They quickly looked and acknowledged their biggest fan and just recently their saving grace.

"Hey..." Cat said in as soft-spoken a tone as manageable. For her.

Jade and Tori looked at each other and back at Cat, each holding out an arm for the redhead to join in the love. She squealed and eagerly sauntered over to take part in the big hug of hugs.

"Cat?" Tori asked. "How did you do what you did back there?"

The girl shrugged and beamed. "My mom gave it to me. She calls it a gift"

Jade snorted. "All my mom gave me was a big pain in the..."

Tori tapped her girlfriend hard in the shoulder.

"OW!" Jade exclaimed. "What the fu-"

The Goth stiffened and turned around slowly, following Tori's finger pointing behind her.

The trio saw Jade's mom, Mrs. West, standing in the doorway holding a get well bouquet for Tori.

"Hey...kids," she smiled awkwardly. "How are you feeling, Tori?"

"Better now," Tori smiled at Jade.

Jade cleared her throat "Hey, mom. I need to tell you something..."

"Hello Jade," Mr. West said coming up behind his wife. "Sorry, we haven't been introduced."

"I'm Tori," she smiled shaking Mr. West's hand.

"She's my...girlfriend," Jade blurted out.

The Wests exchanged glances.

"Well?" Jade asked. "Say something!"

"Okay, sweetheart" Jade's dad put his hands on his hips and used his most "fatherly" tone. "Your mother and I are very disappointed."

"Why?"

"If she's your girlfriend," Mrs. West commented while parking the flowers by the window. "Then you should have been giving her flowers."

Tori punched Jade in the arm, chuckling. Jade on the other hand thought she was going to pass out.

"Don't worry," Tori squeezed Jade's hand. "She's actually done more for me than you could imagine."

Tori was going to say more when the sound of her father groaning filled the room.

"Jade?" he asked confused. "Oh, good; you're back."

Her parents looked like they were missing something.

"Have a good nap dad?" Tori asked.

"Yeah," he yawned. "Never slept better although I've never been so thirsty in my life." He walked over to the pitcher of melted ice and drank about two thirds of it.

"Dad!" Tori moaned out of embarrassment.

"Sorry sweetie," he contritely said wiping his mouth. "So everything went as planned?" he asked the girls.

They discreetly nodded.

David leaned in close to whisper to his daughter.

"See; I told you they had everything in hand. You just had to stay here."

Tori rolled her eyes. "Right, dad."

Ryder Daniels was parked at the hills; the Hollywood sign in plain view. He was playing the old "out of gas" routine with a Northridge girl.

He got out his pickup truck and laid a red and green blanket he had rolled up in the backseat in the bed of the truck.

The girl was easily led by his charm and the two laid underneath the stars.

Ryder goes to put the moves on the hapless blonde but the shaking of the truck was killing the mood. He looked around, thinking it was a rock slide but then saw the truck was moving backward.

Ryder swore he engaged the parking brake.

He tried to move put the blanket rolled up tightly around them on its own. The two screamed, wriggling with all their strength and couldn't get themselves free.

They watched helplessly as they saw the bottom of the cliff enter their sights and begin to descend to their deaths.

"Guess he wasn't getting lucky tonight," Freddy laughed from the edge of the cliff, looking down.