This chapter starts with a time jump. I figured it'd be better to skip some time than continue the slow build up of the group.

Thank you for the reviews so far.

Disclaimer: I don't won 'VicTORious' or any characters.

No POV

Two Months Later

After Jade joined Sikowitz at Hollywood Arts, things have gotten a little easier for the group of eight. Though not as likely as before, Sikowitz still sends a few of the group out for supply runs, their supply slowly growing each week from the supply runs. The only one not to join the group is Jade, who leaves to do personal supply runs a few times a month, returning with a duffle bag full of food and drink, never saying a word to the others.

"You know, it'd be nice if you let us at least know you leave." Beck tells Jade when she returns, her duffle bag full of bottles of water she found in an abandoned house a few blocks away from the school.

"And it'd be nice if you'd leave me the fuck alone. I'm here until those bastards leave my house. I'm not a part of your little 'group' or anything, so fuck off." Jade tells the taller man, walking past him.

"We work together here. Either you tell one of us where you go, or you grab your shit and go." Beck tells her, grabbing her arm to stop her from passing him.

"Touch me again, and you lose your head." Jade warns, pulling herself free and glaring at Beck.

"Beck, we talked about this." Sikowitz says from behind Beck. "She doesn't owe us anything. She was informed not to lead anyone here, and she's done just that." He says, watching Jade go up the stairs.

"How do we know she's not meeting anyone and telling them about us? We can't trust her." Beck says, turning to face the older man.

"Because she's been here for just over two months, and nothing's happened." Sikowitz answers. "Now, Andre and Trina have returned from a quick run and they found guns and ammo. You're in charge of putting them away and organized, since you know that stuff better than anyone else." He orders, sighing when Beck walks past him.

A few minutes later, Sikowitz knocks on Tori's door, smiling when she says 'come in'. "Did you need something?" She asks, Cat sitting before her, a battered deck of cards in front of them.

"Not really. Your sister and Andre just returned. Can you help them put the food and water away?" Sikowitz answers, standing in the doorway. "After that, I have a favor to ask of you." He says, somewhat hesitant as he knows how complicated it'll be.

"And that is?" Tori asks, standing as Cat collects the cards.

"I need you to talk to Jade, get her to be more a part of the group. I don't like how she leaves herself alone all day." Sikowitz says, stepping aside for Tori and Cat to walk past him. "I know that's asking a lot, especially after you only being here a couple of months, but Trina would try to kill her, Beck hates her, Cat's a little afraid of her, Andre's too busy, and Robbie's working on something, a security camera type set up for the door." He explains as the two women walk by.

"What about you?" Cat asks, putting the cards in her pocket and following Tori to the door.

"I'm busy keeping Beck from cornering Jade. Lately, he seems to distrust her and wants her kicked out." Sikowitz says, leading the two towards the stairwell. "Thankfully, the guns and ammo Trina and Andre found are going to keep him busy for a while, and since Jade refuses to leave her room except to use the restroom and go on supply runs, we figure there won't be bloodshed for a few hours. Max." He says, adding the last part as the descend the stairs.

"Okay, but why me?" Tori asks, following him. "I don't exactly get along with her either. In fact, she likes me as much as Trina." She points out as they get to the first floor.

"True, but you're nicer and don't seem afraid of her or anything. So, you're the best bet." Sikowitz answers, smiling at her.

"Good luck. Might I suggest body armor, or a tank?" Cat jokes as they split away from Sikowitz.

"Tank?" Sikowitz asks as he heads towards the 'armory', the room that used to be the Black Box theater.

Tori POV

"Where you headed?" Trina asks after they get the food and water put away.

"Apparently, I'm the best bet to talk to Jade, according to Sikowitz." I answer with a sigh.

"Grab a gun." Trina warns, watching me.

"Relax. I have the handgun and two extra clips." I say, lifting the side of my shirt to show her the gun.

"Good." Trina says, nodding.

"Oh, might I suggest a flak vest?" Andre chimes in, making me stop.

"We don't have one, but nice try." I say, rolling my eyes at him.

"Good luck." Cat says again as I head away, giggling.

"I'll need it." I say to myself as I head down the hallway.

A short moment later, I'm outside of Jade's door, hand raised to knock. 'Screw it.' I think, knocking.

"No." Jade calls out through the closed door.

"Can I come in?" I ask, knocking again.

"No." Jade repeats. "Walk away before I give your sister a reason to fill me with lead." She threatens, sounding slightly more muffled.

"You don't like it, but you staying here means you're a part of the group until you get your house back." I call out. 'If it's even still standing, by now.' I think, knowing how some buildings are destroyed when/if there's nothing to take from them.

"Doesn't matter. Leave." Jade calls out.

'I'm gonna die.' I think to myself as I slowly turn the doorknob, opening the door.

"Does anyone listen in this damned place?" Jade growls out, turning to face me. "You have fifteen seconds to explain why you're here. Now." She says, pushing in the clip of a gun and taking off the safety.

"Sikowitz is worried about how often you're alone and how dangerous that could be when you go on runs." I answer quickly, not wanting to risk her shooting me, adding the last part as a more personal worry.

"I haven't talked to anyone, anyone who follows gets a bullet in the head, and I don't waste your supplies. Once my house is empty again, or I get the chance to take them all out, I'm gone." Jade says, staring at me.

"But you're out there alone. What's to stop someone, or a group, from knocking you out and doing God knows what to you?" I ask, the stories I've heard from the few survivors Trina and I managed to talk to that weren't out to kill us, or worse, giving me nothing good to think about.

"Why do you care, Vega? Hm?" Jade asks, giving me a disbelieving look. "Turn around, walk away, and leave me the Hell alone. What happens to me out there is my own concern, not yours." She says, putting the gun on the desk. "Time's up." She says, her back to me as she works on cleaning a second gun, a handgun like the other.

"Because I don't want anyone getting assaulted in anyway, regardless of how they act. No one deserves that." I say, turning around with a sigh. 'That went better than expected.' I think, closing the door behind me.

"How'd it go?" Sikowitz asks me a few minutes later when I get to his classroom, the others (minus Jade and Beck) sitting around and eating.

"I'm still alive, and don't expect Jade anytime soon." I answer, sitting between Trina and Cat, accepting the paper plate of food from Andre.

"I've an idea you won't like." Sikowitz says, his plate empty and bottle of water almost empty.

"What?" Trina asks, staring at him.

"Tori, you and Cat are going on a supply run tomorrow. We need extra water as a back-up, and Andre reported that a nearby shopping center, not the one we first met at, has a hunting store that was barely touched. You three are going to collect extra ammo, guns, knives, whatever you can find." Sikowitz answers, not meeting Tori's eyes.

"Three? You just said it was Tori and Cat going. Who's the third?" Robbie asks, staring at Sikowitz.

"Jade." I say, groaning.

"I don't think so. I'll go with them. Or Andre and I can go again. I'm not letting her go with Tori." Trina says, quick to defend her sister.

"Jade needs to learn to trust us. Even if she's only here for a short while." Sikowitz says, cutting off the growing argument Trina was building up. "She gets along better, for some reason, with Tori and Cat over the others." He says, staring at Trina. "The decision, however, is up to Tori and Cat. Are you two up for it, if Trina and Andre give you directions?" He asks us, staring between me and Cat.

"Works for me, I guess. I don't mind." Cat says, looking to me. "What about you?"

"Sure. What time?" I ask, meeting his eyes.

"I'll let you know. All of you finish eating, then relax. Head to sleep at nightfall. When the sun rises, we'll set the plan and you two can head out. Goodnight, students." Sikowitz says, heading out of the classroom.

Sikowitz POV

"Now what?" Jade asks when I open her door, ignoring the glare she sends me as she puts her guns on a shelf.

"Tomorrow, you are going on a weapon supply run with Tori and Cat. If you do not go, or you cause problems, you're on your own. I don't want anything bad to happen to you, but we work together here, and you working alone is starting to cause problems for everyone." I tell her, serious. "You don't like it, but it's how things happen here. So, either go on the run with Tori and Cat, or leave before sunrise." I tell her, turning and closing the door behind myself.

So, Sikowitz is tired of Jade's solo actions. Why does he want her to work with the group, especially hours after telling Beck to leave Jade alone for that very reason? I assure you, he has his reasons why he wants Jade to work with the group and why he wanted Tori to talk to Jade.

Thank you for reading, and hope you review. Also, if this seemed kinda rushed and not good, I apologize. I was stuck on which direction to go with this, and decided for Sikowitz to give Jade an ultimatum. Will he go through with it, or will she go through with it? One way to find out.

Blessed Be.