Victoria [A Petska Fan Fic]

17

All the worrying really was for nothing. The article was released, and even if there were some nasty comments, there weren't any threats and most people just seemed to accept the fact that Mariska and Peter made a mistake when they were younger. 

"How are you doing?" Harvey asked, as he and his girlfriend headed back to Mariska and Peter's house to celebrate Christmas early. They had gifts to open today, and Victoria was praying that they would actually be able to have fun since everything had settled since the article was released.

"I'm fine, Harv." Victoria replied with a small smile as they drove towards her parents' house.

"Well, your phone was ringing like crazy this morning. You kept ending the call, and deleting the messages." Harvey frowned as he glanced over at Victoria. He had seen her through some of her worst times, so he was hoping that she wasn't trying to hide this hard time from him.

"Heather and Elle have been contacting me. They are angry because they saw that I changed my last name on everything. My driver's license, on all of my college forums, even on my rental agreement. They are pissed off that once again I'm favoring my biological parents over them... but I don't know what they expected. That I was just going to be without parents?" Victoria sighed as her phone once again started to buzz. 

She looked at it for a moment before asking her boyfriend to pull over. She climbed out of her car and hesitantly answered the call.

"Yes?" She sighed.

"YOU CHANGED YOUR LAST NAME?!" Heather yelled into the phone. Victoria sighed before leaning against the car.

"Heather, I have asked you and Elle to both stop contacting me. I'm an adult, and I do not need your permission to change my last name and join the family I was meant to be with all along. So please, stop contacting me. If you do not, I will contact the police and my lawyer." Victoria sighed.

"We did so much for you! We took care of you and paid for everything! And this is how you repay us?! You are the reason Elle and I are going to divorce! It's your fault!" Heather yelled into the phone.

Victoria closed her eyes tightly, but she still managed to continue crying. She quickly tried to wipe away her tears before sighing deeply.

"Send me a bill, Heather. I'll repay you for all of your pain and suffering. Just leave me the hell alone. Please." Victoria replied. She hung up before turning her phone off and shoving it back into her jacket pocket.

///

The kids greeted their sister at the door, but quickly noticed that she didn't look happy at all. They didn't push her, so they took Harvey to meet the rest of the guests as Victoria took some time to herself.

"Tori?" Mariska asked, after knocking lightly on the guest bedroom's door. 

"Mama, can I have a few moments?" Victoria sniffled as she rubbed tears from her cheeks.

"Honey, Harvey said you were crying on your way here... and the kids say you seem off. So, I think it's time we talk about whatever is bothering you." Mariska sighed.

Victoria sniffled for a few more minutes before hesitantly climbing off the bed and walking to the door. She unlocked it and then opened it slowly.

"Hey." Mariska frowned as she reached out and gently caressed her daughter's cheek.

"I'm having a harder time than I thought I would."

"What? I thought that no one really said much about this?"

"No one from school or from work has commented. My social media hasn't been attacked at all, but that's probably because no one has found it... but Mama, Heather and Elle have been letting their feelings known."

"What have they been doing? Because if they are harassing you, Peter and I will make sure that they get in trouble for it. We could file for a restraining order and-"

"I need to deal with this without your help." Victoria sighed as she sank back down onto the bed.

"But here is the thing, Victoria Grace. You don't have to do anything alone. You have Harvey and Em, your siblings, and your father and me. We all have your back and are on your side. So if you need me to help out and get our lawyer involved or call the police, I'm more than willing to do that. We are here to protect you."

"I just feel like I'm bringing so much drama into this family. Just like before."

"Are you regretting changing your name?" Mariska asked, her heart aching as she even said those words. She didn't want her daughter to regret becoming an official part of their family just because Heather and Elle decided to be monsters.

"N-no. I don't think so."

"I'm going to leave you be. Come down when you are ready." Mariska blurted out quickly before standing and moving to the door.

"Mama! It's not like that! I am so excited to not be a part of Heather and Elle's family anymore. I'm happy that one day, it'll be you and Dad giving Harvey your blessings when he wants to marry me... I guess that I wasn't prepared for anger and insults coming from those that used to love me."

"You were expecting more hate from the public, and not Heather and Elle." Mariska whispered, and Victoria nodded.

"Yeah, and I got the complete opposite."

///

Downstairs, Harvey pulled Peter to the side and asked to talk to him in private. They went into the garage, and Harvey nervously raked his fingers through his rusty curls.

"Are you okay? You seem off, just like Tori." Peter frowned as he leaned against his SUV.

"Uh, I don't know how to start."

"Well, what is this about?" Peter questioned. Harvey took another shaky breath before hesitantly looking up at Victoria's father.

"I love your daughter... a lot. And after the years she has had, and with all the drama going on with the Williams-"

"What drama?" Peter asked quickly.

"She will want to tell you, but it's not good. But sir, I was wondering if maybe... just maybe there was a chance you could give me your blessing to ask Tori to marry me? I just think she could use something more permanent... something stronger." Harvey rambled.

"There is a lot to digest in that statement and what we were just talking about. Um, I think that we should shelf this for now. Because stuff might start to get really messy."