Disclaimer. Don't own Victorious.

:}

Beck wasn't looking forward to returning from this trip. He'd taken a series of small parts that included working in various locations, just to travel. It was his version of a year off to see as much of the world as he could. His last job, two weeks in Idaho playing a ski instructor, had finished and he was flying home. While Idaho was beautiful that time of year, what made him want to stay was that it was February, and Jade had informed him she'd be picking him up.

Jade, who'd been seeing Tori for almost fourteen months, had not only volunteered to pick him up from the airport, she'd insisted. Honestly, he was worried at what drove the normally self centered girl to demand he ride with her. 'I honestly believe she'd slash the tires of anyone else who tried to give me a ride.' He thought, again.

The plane was landing. 'Never a snow storm when you need one.' He joked to himself. 'Not in Los Angeles. Never in LA. God, why couldn't I live someplace where they get blizzards?'

Of course, when Jade was in the right mood, she was her own freezing natural disaster. Back before graduation, more then one boy bunkered down until hurricane Jade blew past. But Beck knew that he was just dreading the inevitable discussion. Jade wanted something.

It took far too little time for him to make it through security and gather his belongings from the carousel. Then he texted Jade to let her know he was ready, and where to pick him up. It was less then five minutes later when she showed up and unlocked her door.

Sighing, Beck picked up his stuff and tossed all of it in the back seat, next to her shovel. "Thanks for the help. You could have popped the trunk."

"Can't." Jade said with a slight smile. "I haven't cleared out the body yet."

Beck sat down in the front seat, barely able to put his seat belt on before she was moving again. "You know, I'm not in that big of a hurry." He joked.

"What can I get Tori." Jade asked. Her voice was flat, and her eyes stayed on the road.

"You mean for Valentines day?" Beck asked.

"Yea, that." Jade confirmed. "So give me some ideas." he was almost worried about the lack of sarcasm.

"You know, in some cultures it's considered polite to talk a bit, maybe ask about my trip, before grilling me for ideas." He commented.

"And deprive you of your chance to brag about it later?" She asked. "Besides, times running out, and I can't lose this one."

"Lose?" Beck asked. "Sine when is giving the girl you love a gift a contest?"

"Since forever." Jade replied. "Come on, you know how this works. I perused her, so I'm the man. Therefor it's my job to woo her. If I can't win in the gift exchange, she has more power, and she already has the power in this relationship."

"How?" Beck honestly had no idea how anyone had the power over his dark ex.

"I said I loved her first." Jade replied. "And the whole sex thing, turns out she's better at making me want her then I am at saying no. So that wound up in her favor. But so far I've managed to stay ahead in gift exchange. Birthdays went to me easy, since I got her that charm bracelet. Course, I only gave her half the charms. You'd think people would respect the contract of a charm bracelet. And I squeaked ahead on Christmas, but only cause I could arrange to take her family to Tahoe, then gave her that new top. But I can't just out spend her. I need an edge."

"And what makes you think I can help?" Beck asked. "I mean, I don't know Tori as well as you do."

"Mister West-Bunny." Jade said, somehow managing to mix disgust and what was almost love into her voice. "You know, the stuffie she gave me last year. Complete with a Kings Jersey, number one, with my name on it. You told her to get that for me."

'I just told her you liked bunnies." Beck said. "She came up with that all on her own."

"But Tori stumps so easily when trying to buy gifts." Jade replied. "She had to have gotten help. Or inspiration." Jade's sideways glare, through her slit eyes, was enough to make Beck wonder if his equipment would ever work again.

After a few minutes, as the miles slowly passed, Beck started to figure things out. "So thats what's going on." He announced. "You're trying to win the Valentines gift exchange, right?"

"I believe I said as much." Jade confirmed.

"And you're afraid Tori's going to beat you, right?" He asked.

"Lets just say I'm stacking the odds." The goth said.

"So you're going to what? Bury me in the desert?" The Canadian asked. "Make sure I can't talk to Tori?"

"Nope." Jade said, popping her P. "I'm just limiting her chance to talk to you. No alone time with Tori for you."

"Glad you've branched out in your drive to keep people away from your girlfriend. Jealousy was so one dimensional." He joked. "Hyper competitiveness may not be the best reaction, but at least it's new."

"I'm not hearing any ideas." Jade shot back. "And it can't be a night in the princess suite at Disney, cause I her got that for our anniversary."

"Have you considered just getting her a gift from the heart, and not making this into a giant contest?" Beck asked. "Of course you haven't. Case everything's a contest to you."

"You have no idea what the stakes are?" Jade asked her ex. "Do you?"

"Okay," Beck asked "What are the stakes."

"We're establishing the rules our whole relationship will be based on." Jade explained. "I have to win."

"Or?' Beck asked again.

"Or... Or..." Jade was getting frustrated. "Shut up, you. Just shut up."

"So get her something, and don't worry about it being perfect." Beck explained. "Whatever it is, she'll love it."

"How did I ever stay with you so long?" Jade asked, not sure she could believe she'd ever been with him.

"We had more then the chiz gifts you gave me." Beck replied. "So she gave you the perfect Jade bunny to snuggle with on those lonely nights. It's not the end of the world. Just think about her. Really think about Tori, and come up with something that says you really know her. You can't go wrong with that."

"Man, you've been absolutely useless." Jade commented. "Guess I'm stuck with my contingency plan."

"And that is?" He was afraid to ask, but at that moment he saw a major disaster flowing Tori's way and he had to head it off.

"You'll tell." Jade said.

"No I won't." The actor said. "You just said I won't have a moment alone with anyone until after the big day."

"Oh, all right." Jade relented. "I need to make sure I'm not locking another Rottweiler in an RV with a sleeping man."

"Gee, and I'd almost forgotten how you almost killed my dad." Beck said. "Look, I know it was an accident. Tori said the dog was cuddly up until you locked him in my trailer. But please don't use that as your reference. Okay."

"Okay." Jade agreed. "I'm replacing the pillow I once damaged. I've had them fix it. But thats not enough. I'm having pillows made with several of her family pictures, taken from the slap, sewn on them. She'll have nice, big, cuddly sofa type pillows with the faces of her friends and family on them. I'll tell her that she'll never have to sleep alone. Also, she can turn them over, cause who wants your parents watching you getting it on."

"Okay, thats not a bad gift. Not perfect, but it shows you know her, her love of family. It also shows you want her to feel safe. Yea, it's a good gift. But you said you were having them made. If this is your backup gift, why have them made?" Beck asked.

"You never know when you'll need that extra gift." Jade said. "I'm not the flowers type."

"Go with the pillows." Beck said. "But maybe you can have something more enduring made. An engraving of one of her family pictures. So she has something that lasts."

"Good idea." Jade said. "Look, we're here. I'm grateful for the help. Really I am. I know it's ridiculous to make this a contest. I-I'll try to stop. Just after the whole Valentines day thing."

"Why wait?" He asked, and immediately regretted it.

"Cause she won last year." Jade said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "You don't end this kind of contest on a loss."

"Of course." Beck replied. He got out of the car and pulled his bags out. Jade, of course, sat there waiting to drive off, talking to someone on her phone. 'Probably making sure her pillows will be done in time.' he thought. "Okay, I've got my stuff... And she's gone." Beck watched the car drive off, wondering how he ever dated such a competitive girl. 'She did work hard at making me feel special. Or was that special needs?'

He was still laughing when his mother walked out of the house. She hugged him, then handed him one of the hand sets to the home phone. "She made me promise to call as soon as you got back." His mother said.

Taking the phone, confused, he put it to his ear. "Hello?" He asked.

"Beck? It's Tori. I need help." Came the voice of his favorite pop singer. "Jade's won the last two gift exchanges. What can I give her that will knock her socks off." Beck sighed, only to hear Tori add, almost under her breath "and her panties."

:}

As of posting, we are five days from Valentines day. Come on people, lets feel the romance.