Don't Stop Believing (Victoria)

Subject: Re: Don't Stop Believing (Victoria) Tue Jul 10, 2018 2:23 am

"I fucking love Merida," Jackson admitted sheepishly as he sat with an arm around the tiny Goblin that had somehow managed to make such a big impression on everyone around her. The man hadn't said those words out loud in years beyond a "love ya, mom" when leaving his mother's presence but they were all headed to hell anyway. A dark glare at Tammy Baldwin's offices and he was not ashamed of admitting how much he loved his mother. "Sometimes I figure it's a good thing there was no dad in the picture. Poor fucker would just have fallen short by comparison every day to the strongest woman in the world."

It was nice really, telling someone things like that. At least if he died now, someone would know to get the information back to Merida. And if the sirens in his head were any indication, he was about to have something burst in his head.

When the Princess admitted she missed Azalea, he nodded. He could not and would not share her enthusiasm and conviction that they were going to win. Every odd was against them. Despite the Harrington money, and the publicity, and the October surprise that had revealed his engagement to a British socialite's daughter alongside the hastily put together interview about respect and other bullshit, they were still coming up short. They didn't have experience in the field, they didn't have a research team of veterans like Baldwin did. They were so far under, an under dog would be way ahead of them in this race.

Regardless, it was kind of cool to know that someone believed in the impossible, even if he couldn't.

"I went to her funeral," he added slowly, trying tor recall the memory from so many years ago. "Place was full of Nightshades, but not just them. Half of Ironwood was there too, couple of greens in the mix. Remember old Violet? She came, and Miss Finn too. All of Salem was jam packed in the halls, and half of Hogwarts. A lot of people said nice things, I don't really talk to anyone."

He'd gone to pay his respects, not socialize, though he'd seen people doing that plenty too. Mr. Harrington had looked broken when he came forwards to lay a flowerless stalk on the casket. No flowers for Miss Azalea, she had never liked them much anyway.

"They're good people, I don't know at least they seem to be. When i came into the game I had a small reputation as the youngest mayor of a town from nowhere and nothing else to my name. It became obvious I needed money and... friends who could give me a leg up. I was working at city hall and doing night school when I met this girl named Judith Bloomberg." The politician wasn't sure if Victoria would connect the surname to the Michael Bloomberg that often stopped by and whom Jackson genuinely looked up to for advice and insight. A career politician at sixty five, Michael had no qualms about mentioning his daughter's ex. Politics was not personal after all.

"She was okay, her dad was my golden goose though. But its not like I didn't care about her. I did all the shit good boyfriends are supposed to do. Bought her flowers, took her to fancy restaurants, cuddled her during movies, lied about her not looking fat in anything she wore, the usual." Of course, Jackson was sure he was simply being a good partner by not being unfaithful, it was the least he could do. He had been young and using people to his gains had taken some adjusting to on the conscious front. But he had tried.

"In the end, my friend Lucy found her in a public bathroom at an event, with a man twice her age, and someone her father was friends with. A much more established politician." The wizard didn't want to recount the rest, about the huge fight he and Lucky had, about how the witch had flown into a rage because Jackson blinded himself to the bitch and all her flaws, about how he didn't care if he was being cheated on as long as he remained in Michael's pocket.

Lucy had left then, and he hadn't bothered figuring out where she went. Too many years had passed now though so maybe he should try and find her. Knowing Luce, the ditz was probably trekking around the amazon or something.

"A year, eighteen months maybe later and Judith comes home saying she wants to call it off. Shows me the golf ball sized engagement ring she has on. I wouldn't be able to afford that if I used all the money Kit Harrington gave me and added my savings to the lot." Not that there was much of that after the house deal was finalized. His bank account hadn't been this sparse since his days in Green Lake.

He had openly hated Judith after that, called her a gold digger at every opportunity he could find, and sometimes even without an opportunity. But sitting here, Jackson felt uncharacteristically honest and introspective. She may have been a gold digger but what were his motives in approaching her in the first place? Were they any different from what he himself wanted?

"After we called it off, I don't know if her dad would want to stay in touch with me, he was my source of money, contacts, advice, everything. So me being the upstanding guy I am, I tracked down the only rich person I knew - I went to the father of a dead girl to ask him for money."

There it was, something Jackson had never even admitted to himself let alone anyone else. The worst side of him exposed for Victoria to see and judge. He wouldn't blame the kid, he was pretty despicable. And if fucking a minor hadn't turned her off of him, maybe this would do the job?

Maybe he deserved it?

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Subject: Re: Don't Stop Believing (Victoria) Tue Jul 10, 2018 9:51 pm

"I fucking love Merida,"

It was a sign of how comfortable Victoria had become that the use of a swear word didn't make the young witch flinch, or make a face upon hearing such profanities. It was a bigger sign of their friendship that the statement had brought a smile to the witch's features instead. "I know," Victoria replied softly, fondly to the man beside her. Seeing the two of them together had shown Victoria that, and it was... quite beautiful, the relationship Jackson had with his mother. Not, of course, that Victoria would ever tell the man as much. No, to bring that to Jackson's attention would likely mean he would go in to super!man mode, and resist all talk on the subject.

But, in this moment, the man was happy to admit that he loved his mom, and Victoria was not going to make any negative connotation to that. Another time, perhaps, she would try to get the man not to swear so much, but that was not today.

The part about the funeral of Azalea's was left by Victoria. She had not attended. She should have attended, but she had simply not known about the whole thing. None of them had. And... perhaps Jackson was right in his letters all that time ago, perhaps she could have done more, reached out. But, what had he done? Had the man beside her raised a finger to try and find her, or was he just the same as her? Only free to accuse because he'd attended her funeral. Too many questions, much too morbid in that moment, so Victoria left it. They could talk of Azalea another time. A less stressful time, when she trusted Jackson's actions much than she did now.

Though, even if she didn't trust his actions in that moment, Victoria knew she was safe tucked in his arms on the November evening.

If there was one thing she knew of the man beside her, it was that he would never, ever, hurt her.

He was one of only a few men on the world you could rely on that.

Jackson's idea of the Harrington's being a good family brought forth the softest of noises of agreement from Victoria in that moment. The witch knowing all too well of the generosity and kindness of both Kit Harrington and Clara Kent. Azalea had been sweet too, with all the presents she had gifted to Victoria over the years... the research she'd completed to enable Victoria could walk again... The Harrington's were amazing, and in that moment, the younger witch felt herself finally give in to the notion that she had well and truly turned her back on people who she cared for deeply, and who cared for her, just because Jake had told her that was what they wanted.

Jackson's story broke through that idea though, the mention of a Bloomberg Victoria had never met came in to play, but the witch was sure she'd seen the name Judith and Michael together somewhere before. For Jackson to have been dating, the witch assumed it was Michael's daughter, information that was useful to the witch, but not yet commented on. After all, it wasn't something that needed commenting on.

The idea, though, that Jackson had got with the woman for the gains she had offered was not one that sat comfortably with Victoria. Oh, she was not naive enough not to see the merit of such a situation, she knew quite well after the last few months that politics was not a clean game to play, and a lot of things that happened behind the scenes raised a lot of eyebrows. But just because she was aware of the situation, sometimes aiding in it, it did not mean she had to like doing it, or seeing it. That would have been a glorious place to be, she was sure, but some sacrifices had to be made in life.

As long as they didn't detour too far from the beaten track, Victoria could justify what they were doing, or what they had done.

The admission at the end, that he'd tracked down Kit purely for the money he had was one Victoria knew came from self-loathing. It was by instinct that Victoria reached for Jackson's free hand, cupping it in both of her own smaller hands in the universal sign of 'it's okay'. She didn't speak for a moment, perhaps a number of them, because she didn't have an anecdote to offer to show that Jackson was not the only one who had done something they didn't like the sound of. No, the witch needed a few moments to think.

"I won't pretend to know what any of that would feel like. Going after a woman in such a nature, ending up breaking it off because she'd found somebody richer, or even having to go to a man you haven't seen in years to ask for money." Victoria told him carefully, looking down at their hands for a moment before looking up sideways to the man sat beside her, offering him a small smile. "But you did what anyone in your position would have done to get to where you are today. You were the youngest mayor of Green Lake. You've done an absolutely amazing job here, with your campaign -- no matter the outcome, before you start down that road again.

"Does any of that make it the wrong decision..?" Victoria posed hypothetically, before continuing on. "Judith married the man she..." The witch almost said 'loves', but couldn't be sure on that on. "You didn't waste your life tied to a woman you don't love, and you may have borrowed a very large sum from Kit, but he wouldn't have given it to you unless you had made him believe you could use it wisely. That your cause was a good one.

"And, no matter what, Jackson. You're the man that... you're the man that helps... that doesn't allow the world... that ensures everyone around him is alright." Victoria managed eventually, not knowing how to voice what had happened at the club that night he'd found her. "As much as you might hate yourself, or want to sit and second guess everything you've done, Mr Blake, you're a good man, who always tries to do the right thing."

The witch gave his hand the softest of squeezes, showing him that she meant it, trying to ensure he understood he was worth so much more than he believed. She didn't like seeing him like this, but she knew that it was the stress. Come tomorrow, rain or shine, Jackson would be back to his work, getting ready for whatever was about to come their way, because no one could deny that Jackson Blake was going somewhere.

And it wasn't back to Green Lake.

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Subject: Re: Don't Stop Believing (Victoria) Tue Jul 10, 2018 11:31 pm

The one thing that could be safely said about Victoria, was that she never failed to surprise him. Where he had anticipated her flinching, moving away, trying to gather an excuse in her mind and form it on her lips for why she had to be anywhere else now that she knew the truth, all that came was quiet understanding.

It was a little unnerving how accepting the miniature witch was. As her hand gently squeezed his, drawing her tiny frame even closer to him, Jackson couldn't wrap his head around what had just happened. Was it that easy to forgive someone? At least she made it look that easy. A great weight dislodged itself from the politician's shoulder as the forgiveness he didn't even know he needed was given to him so graciously, without question.

But she hadn't just absolved him of all his wrongdoings. Somehow, the Princess still continued to believe he had it in him to do good, something he had stopped believing a while ago. Since September to be precise. If a good politician had to be a good person first then Jackson Blake would be one shit public servant.

Except Victoria believed otherwise... And if she believed enough for the two of them, maybe, just maybe.

As if they weren't already close enough with his one arm wrapped around her and the other held by her own tiny palms, the raven haired wizard gave her a sideways squeeze-hug, not quite smiling but not in as foul a mood as he had been when he'd first approached the balcony. "You know what kid, you're all right too," he managed with a small chuckle, his eyes flitting from her face to the stars above and ahead. There was no way to tell the time now that he'd tossed his phone. And it didn't occur to him to ask the Goblin if she had hers on her person.

But that was okay, because sitting here without the constant buzzng of electronic devices and shouts of numbers going up and down was... sort of nice. And of course, just as Jackson thought that, the balcony door opened with a screech, making them both jump.

"WHAT ARE YOU TWO DOING CANOODLING ON THE ROOF YOU FUCKS, WE NEED TO MAKE A STATEMENT IN TWENTY MINUTES! THE PRESS IS ON ITS WAY!"

Connie's gentle voice rained down on them in waves as they got to their feet, Jackson dragging Victoria up while trying his best to listen to all that was going on. Had Tammy Baldwin won? Was this the "I'm a gracious loser" speech? Behind Connie, Linda hurried in with a fresh blazer in her arms, trying her best to put it on the politician as Meredith brought him up to speed. Finally, the blonde gave up, handing the blazer to Victoria who could navigate around his long limbs much better with her smaller hands.

"Wait so the Baldwin Bitch-?"

"You won, Blake, they called it five minutes ago? Didn't you see it on your phone, I sent you a hundred messages?"

"We won..?"

Suddenly the sirens were no longer just in his head but the very real alarms going off everywhere. The media had arrived. As the Goblin buttoned the blazer before moving to knot his tie back into place, Connie and Meredith reiterated the key points of the statement, all the while walking back indoors and towards the elevator.

He had to start of by thanking Tammy Baldwin for her years of service to Wisconsin, then he had to go ahead and congratulate President Elect Warren who had all but won the elections despite a few states not having been called yet. He had to reaffirm his commitment to working together with the democrats to reach the best solution possible for the American people and he had to make a show of putting his constituents above everyone else. Jackson knew all this by heart, and he could do this.

The light touch on his bicep ensured he could do this.

"Oh and Connie, call my pizzeria, they might be closed but tell them if they deliver us twenty extra large pies in the next hour, they'll get a five hundred dollar tip."

The elevator door opened and all at once, the chaos died. Meredith stopped speaking and Victoria was suddenly beside him, looking calm and dignified. It was time to put their game face on.

In the distance, the sound of fireworks could be heard, and for the first time that evening, Jackson smiled completely, because he knew for certain they were not from the Baldwin camp.

The celebration was all theirs.

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» Meet Up with Victoria (Victoria and Adaline)
» When The Hours Stop (Open)
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» You Can Stop Staring, You Know? (Stephen & Christopher)