Disclaimer: I don't own Victorious.

A/N: Hey, guys, so sorry for not updating this, but I've had homework, a speech, plus my bro's back in town until next Wednesday, so I'm barely online. I'm on Spring Break starting next Wednesday too, so hopefully I can get this story finished by then, plus at least another couple of chapters for whatever other story I have...

Enjoy.

Chapter 25

3 Hours Earlier…

"I'm ready."

My heart pounds as I push the end call button and I stare at the pistol on my bed, running a hand through my hair. The only thing on my mind right now is Tori and how she's going to hate me when she finds out. Even though this is a task I was meant to do two years ago, before I even knew Tori…It's going to affect her even more now that we…I can't even finish a thought in my head without wanting to tear myself to shreds with my own scissors.

Andre texts me, reminding me that there will be witnesses to make sure I do what I've promised to do. I wish I could just go to Hollywood Arts, grab Tori, and drive far, far away from here. We wouldn't have to watch our backs if the gang doesn't know where we are, but they would just replace us and go after our friends and Tori's family. Tori's positive Andre killed my father, and I don't doubt her accusation, but honestly…Andre seems like the last person I want to blame. I don't think he could actually kill someone with his own hand, but then again…I didn't think he'd ever hit Tori either.

He's become something we never thought we'd have to deal with, especially Tori. She always thought he was this nice guy and of course she would have to believe it because he was her best friend. But I've known him all along. Beck's known him all along. And neither of us stopped Tori from wanting to be friends with him. That probably would have saved us all this trouble, but I guess it's the price we have to pay for not speaking up.

Although, I don't think she would have listened to us even if we had warned her. She sees the good in everyone, and it used to be so annoying. I could never figure out why she wanted to be everyone's friend, why she wanted to be friends with me. I'm nothing special, but she went out of her way to make me like her. She put more effort into becoming my friend than she did with anyone else. Maybe that's because I was the only one that wasn't affected by that charm of hers, that puppy dog look that even tops Cat's.

And I don't know how, but she managed to succeed. But things started changing and it affected everything. Beck broke up with me, I started a garden fire, Tori and I got into a fight with a gang member, and we kissed.

If I make it out of this alive, I'm going to hate myself. Everything happens because of me. If I had just let go of the fact that Tori kissed me in the hospital and kept my mouth shut, she never would have been pulled into this mess, and we could have just gone in our separate ways and back to supposedly hating each other. But no, we couldn't do that because I was dumb enough to have fallen for her, and damn it if that didn't just make everything worse. She would have stayed friends with Andre and I would have been left to deal with this on my own.

Fuck it, it's too late now.

Tori's safe at school right now, or at least I hope she is. Knowing Carlos, he has eyes on her, just to make sure she doesn't leave town…or that I don't take her and run. Beck and Cat will keep her distracted, both of them knowing what I'm going to have to do.

BREAK

1 Hour after Jade's Arrest

I sit in the waiting room in the hospital emergency room with Trina and Mom and wait for news on Dad. Apparently Jade shot him in the shoulder and something deep inside tells me she did that on purpose. She didn't want to kill him. Why would she? Trina keeps muttering insults about Jade and how she never liked her. I want to hit her and tell her to stop, but right now I'm not in the best mood where Jade's concerned. It's hard to swallow that she would ever stoop to this.

Sighing, I lean back in the chair and glance around. There are five other people in the waiting room, all of them waiting for news of their loved ones, and I notice a small child curled in a ball on a chair next to her mother. From where I sit, I can see dried trails on her tiny cheeks, her eyes closed. My heart breaks at the sight of the little girl, and I wonder what brought her and her mother here. Was her father hurt, like mine? And once again I think of Jade, how her father had been killed and how it had broken her to pieces.

Even after what she did, I miss her by my side.

Beck comes into the waiting room and speaks to the receptionist. He nods politely before turning and searching for me. His eyes meet mine and he gestures toward the entrance. I excuse myself from Mom and Trina and stand, stretching before I follow him outside. He sits on the closest bench and glances up at me. "Jade called me." And I almost feel angry that she called him and not me, but then I remember that I don't have my phone. That and she probably felt that I don't want to talk to her after this.

He removes a folded piece of paper from his back pocket and hands it to me. My name is scribbled in Jade's handwriting across the top fold. "Beck…"

"Look, Tori, she wrote it for a reason. And she told me it was time to give it to you, now that she's done what she has. I understand why you're pissed off at her, believe me. I've been hurt by the same people she was protecting you from. That's why she did it, Tori. But please…just read what she has to say before you decide to demonize her." He pauses. "She's never cared about anyone as much as she cares about you."

With that, he leaves me alone, and I stare at the note in my hand. Part of me is afraid to open the letter, but another part of me needs to know what she wrote. I sigh and look around before slowly unfolding the paper.

Tori,

By the time you read this, I'm going to be in jail or worse. I know I've told you I'm doing this to protect you, but you need to know why I'm protecting you, why I'm doing something about it this time instead of when I was with Beck. Honestly, what I did…that isn't a new task. They didn't suddenly want me to kill your father, Tori. They wanted me to do it back then.

Your father is the reason they were arrested back then. Well, he was the arresting officer anyway. I was the one who called the cops when they hurt Beck. Back then, I didn't know who you were, but I wasn't going to take a man's life, especially when he had a family. When I met you and that first time I ever saw who your father was…I felt sick to my stomach. I knew that the gang was still out there and that he was a huge target.

But then I knew who you were and it became about you. I could barely go to your house when your father was home, knowing that taking his life was the only way to survive. And then we started dating and I couldn't…I couldn't face ever losing you, Tori.

That night that we were attacked, I realized how serious dealing with the gang was. They hurt you, and I could never let them do that again. And I thought I had kept you safe, even when Andre started treating you like shit. But when we found out he was in the gang…you were in danger, more than I could ever imagine.

I had to do this. Please forgive me, Tori. I had no other choice. And no matter what happens…just know that I love you.

Jade.