Disclaimer: Victorious and all of its associated copyrights are not my property and I stake no claim to them.

A/N: Okay! This took forever to work out, and I ended up using only dialogue for a bit of this chapter. Think of it as a racing mind. If you're unsure of who is talking, there is clarification at the bottom.

"What the fuck?"

"Right?"

"Why the fuck do they think Ally Fitz is anywhere near the same skill level as fucking Sarah Fisher?"

"Dude, the only thing that keeps those two in the same fucking division is their weight class."

"Say all you want about Fitz and Sarah, man, the stupidest shit right now is the fact they got the fucking Panther up against Twiggy Palmer!"

"Reign it in, gentlemen. As ludicrous as these match-ups may be, there are still preparations that need to be made. While the match against Palmer won't require much special training at all, you're still fighting for the championship here in a few months. Every fight you train for is for a purpose. Never underestimate your opponent."

"It's almost majestic, the way she moves. So graceful and powerful. Deliberate. Everything she does has a purpose, there is no wasted energy, no missed chances. In all my fifty years in this business, never have I seen someone who had abilities such as hers. It's almost a sixth sense, the way she knows what her opponent will do next with every move they make. The dedication she has to this art, all of her hard work shows every time she steps inside that octagon. You can see the strength in her strikes, the poise in her movements, a sort of...science she has, using her opponent's energy against them."

"What were your thoughts when she first came into this business?"

"First thoughts? Randy Pierre had nothing but praise for this girl, and we all know that man paved the road for all fighters that would follow in his footsteps. The fact that this legendary man had this girl under his wing, that he saw enough promise in her to use his time in favor of turning this girl into the force to reckoned with that she is now, I was optimistic. Most people know at this point that she was signed the day she turned eighteen. I saw her training, and I saw a champion in the making. I'll you what, man, I saw a champion in this kid the first time I saw her."

"You were sure? Eighteen years old and you signed her up with the big kids?"

"Absolutely. It didn't matter how old she was, she always had what it takes to hold her own with the best of them. You take any other kid who's looking to shoot for the stars, they think they have the world in their hand, they think there isn't a damn thing you have left to teach them, and that's the beginning of the end. This kid, she sees a master and she wonders what they would be able to teach her. She wonders if they hold that one trick, that one key to get her one step closer to being the best the world has ever seen."

"In your professional opinion, do you think she's got what it takes?"

"One hundred percent. She's the sort that will shoot for the stars, and won't take no for an answer. She'll fight for that one spot on top of the world, she'll fight til her body won't let her anymore, and that's exactly why I want her in this business. Twenty-three years old, man, give her a few months, and the critics won't have anything left to say."

Twenty-one days...Twenty-one days...Twenty-one days…

"Get up and do it again!"

"I don't care if you're tired! Your opponents won't ever give a fuck if you're tired, you keep fighting until you win!"

"Overkill doesn't exist. It was made up by pacifists who don't understand that you can't beat a person any more than you already have. You either win or lose. Overkill ensures you win."

"Let me tell you something; I once trained a man who wanted so badly to win that his shoulder was dislocated four times in a single fight before he finally won in spite of everything."

"You need to have that heart. You need to have the unquenchable thirst for victory, that fire that burns even as your body is screaming at you to give up."

"You don't give up. Losers give up. Champions keep fighting."

"But it's still up to you to decide, as a fighter with the heart of a champion, if you should keep fighting. Sometimes, it's not in your best interest. Play the long and short games in your mind, plan it out as you go. It doesn't matter if you dominate a solid year or two, if you can't keep fighting after that, your legacy will die."

"Never let your legacy die. Be that fighter that people aspire to be a hundred years from now."

"My best guess is that she'll be sentenced to anywhere from fifteen years to life."

"Fifteen years to life? Are you fucking kidding me?"

"She has far too many charges against her for this to end well. Believe me, I will do anything I can to reduce her sentence as much as possible, but I can't guarantee anything."

"You better fucking do everything you fucking can!"

"Relax, Jade. Mr. Holsten, I very much appreciate your help so far, and I have every bit of confidence that you'll defend her to the best of your ability. Please understand that this is a very bad situation for us."

"I understand that very well, but as much as Miss Vega has done, there isn't much hope for mercy."

Fourteen days...Fourteen days...Fourteen days…

"This is insane and you know it."

"I know."

"You have the world to lose if this goes wrong."

"I know."

"This will most likely end up in disaster."

"I know."

"Is there anything else you know?"

"I know that I won't give up. I'll fight for you until I win."

"Why?"

"It doesn't matter what happens, if I lose you, I lose my world. If I give up, it's guaranteed defeat, if I fight, I have a chance at victory. That's how my fights work, and that's how I choose to see this."

"This isn't just something that can end with a hand raised in victory. This is one part of a much larger battle."

"It's good I'm well-versed in the arts then, isn't it?"

"What's your name?"

"What?"

"What is your name?"

"You know my name!"

"Tell me your fucking name!"

"Jade."

"How old are you?"

"Have you lost your mind?"

"How many years of age are you at this moment?"

"I'm eighteen."

"What do you do?"

"I fight."

"No, you don't fight. You practice an art. You strive to be the best in the world at what you do, you practice with others who want the same exact thing, you train and practice and learn every single day to be better than them. You work your ass off for this, don't you dare devalue what you do with such a term as 'fighting.' You want people to respect you because of your skill, talent, and knowledge, not because they're frightened of you."

"Okay."

"Tell me again, what do you do?"

"I'm a martial artist."

"Are you sure of all of the things you've just told me?"

"Yes."

"Then don't you tell me you don't know who you are anymore. You know exactly who you are. You've suffered a tremendous loss, but you haven't lost yourself."

Seven days...Seven days...Seven days...

"Look at me."

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Leave me alone."

"Vega, you need to relax. Everything's okay, nothing's broken, relax."

"It was a disaster and you know it. Everybody knows it."

"You are the only person upset over this."

"They're laughing at me."

"Are they? I must've gone deaf for a few minutes there, because I didn't hear anyone laughing."

"Whatever..."

"Come here."

"Stop."

"No, you don't get a choice. I'm gonna hug you and you're going to deal with it."

"I hate you."

"No you don't."

"I know."

"Why are they hugging?"

"They're grappling."

"No, I'm pretty sure they're hugging."

"Who in the right mind would hug their opponent in the middle of a fight?"

"A pacifist."

"But by that logic, they wouldn't be fighting to begin with."

"Well, I don't know his story, so don't ask me. I'm just assuming that he had a change of heart and- never mind, he's unconscious."

"Told you."

"My dear mistress, I'm ever so sorry for doubting you."

...

"What? Too much?"

"Mistress? Have you been reading those erotic novels again?"

"I might have skimmed through one or two."

"Are you suggesting that I be your dominatrix or your side chick while you marry someone else?"

"As much as people love to suggest that we'd make an adorable couple, I have this vivid picture in my mind of them seeing us; me with a collar around my neck and you holding onto a leash attached to the collar."

"So you've been having fantasies about me?"

"Yes, is that bad?"

"Do tell."

"Jade, I don't think I can with a straight face."

"Wouldn't it be funny though if we actually did end up dating?"

"What are you playing at?"

"Well, where's the fun in knowing?"

"You're doing it again."

Jade looked up from where she had been studying the concrete, lost in thought, "What?"

"You're over-thinking things," Tori told her, as she put her hand on Jade's knee to keep it still. "It's okay."

"Okay? You think this is okay?" She just laughed, "This is pretty fucking far from okay!"

Tori took hold of Jade's hand and held it tight, "Listen, I've made peace with my fate. It's your turn now."

"I can't-" Jade shook her head, "I can't make peace with it. I can't just be okay with losing you all over again! Oh, yeah, I did everything I could to get you out and keep you safe, but no, it's okay because, why? Because we can still see each other on opposite sides of a plexiglass wall for the next fifteen years, maybe more? Yeah, sure, let me just forget about everything and focus on how I might actually be able to hug you without getting shouted at to not touch inmates sometime in the next few decades!"

"Stop it!" Randy growled at them in his rarely used authoritative tone. "Jade, shut up, okay? You're not helping a damned thing by acting like this."

Jade stood up quickly, the chair being pushed back against the wall as she moved to leave. Randy grabbed her shoulder and pushed her back into a wall, stepping closer and talking just low enough that Tori couldn't quite hear what he was saying.

"Miss Vega," James called out from the doorway, "It's time."

Randy gave one last stern look toward Jade before following them into the courtroom. Tori went with James up to the desk, while Randy steered Jade toward the seats behind them. A moment later, an officer walked into the courtroom with Steven by his side. Jade tried to focus on all of the voices, but they all seemed to blend together as she found it harder and harder to stay calm.

She was able to focus a little better as Tori was called to the stands. Steven's lawyer looked like a stone cold man, and fired off question after question.

"Miss Vega, when and where did you meet Mr. Carson?"

"I met him at a friend's house in Florence in fall of 2014."

"How old were you at that time?"

"21."

"When did you and Mr. Carson begin dating?"

"About a month after we met."

"And was it consensual?"

"Yes."

"Is it true that Mr. Carson would give you drugs in exchange for sex?"

"For a while, yes."

"When did that end?"

"It didn't, he just started to demand money as well."

"When did that start?"

"Three months ago."

"And when did you reconnect with Miss West?"

"Three months ago."

"Are the two events related?"

"I believe so."

"So you believe Mr. Carson began demanding money once he was aware that you could get it for him?"

"Yes."

"What leads you to believe he knew about Miss West?"

"He was tracking me. He had a tracker put in my phone, and there were cameras all over the apartment. I had no idea of all of this until it was brought to my attention by a friend."

"What proof do you have?"

Tori looked toward Mr. Holsten, and he held up a folder with several documents inside. The bailiff took the folder from him and handed it to the judge. James stood up, "Your honor, those documents are data records of Miss Vega's cell phone, as well as photos of the cameras found in Mr. Carson's apartment. The tracker installed in her phone would notify Steven if she were to leave a designated area he'd set, as well as sending him copies of each and every text message, call, and email that she sent or received dating back to March of this year."

Judge Lawrence, put his glasses on and looked over the documents for a few moments. Steven's lawyer, Mr. Dent, held out his hand as well, "Your honor, if I may?"

The bailiff took the folder from the judge and handed it to Mr. Dent. He scanned through the papers quickly, then stopped on a few in particular. "Miss Vega, it looks clear to me from these records that several trips were made to Miss West's residence. What happened in those visits?"

"The first visit was the first time I'd seen Jade in over six years."

"If you had spent so long away from her, what reason did you have for going back?"

"A good friend of mine is in a relationship with one of Jade's trainers, and after she figured out that we knew each other, she wanted to get us together. Since Jade and I both had an interest in seeing each other again, we agreed."

"Was this when you two resumed your romantic relationship?"

"Objection!" Mr. Holsten said as he stood up.

"Overruled," the judge quickly responded.

Tori cleared her throat, "No, it wasn't."

"When did it resume?"

"A few weeks later, I don't remember the exact date."

"Around when do you believe Steven was made aware of this?"

Mr. Holsten stood up once more, "Objection, calls for speculation, your honor."

"Sustained," Judge Lawrence granted.

Mr. Dent turned away from Tori and the corner of his mouth twitched ever so slightly. His questioning stopped after another minute or two, and Jade was back to putting all of her energy into staying calm. Eventually, the jury left the room to begin their ruling.

Less than twenty minutes of Jade staring off into space, her mind a jumbled mess, the jury returned to the courtroom. Her heart became heavy as she waited for the verdict. The judge sat back down and looked toward the jurors, "Have you reached a verdict?"

One of them, a middle aged woman, stood up and held out a piece of paper, "We have your honor."

The bailiff took the paper and handed it to the judge. He put his glasses back on and the entire room was silent as he read. "Due to a very unfortunate mishandling of evidence, all charges on both Mr. Carson and Miss Vega have been dropped. Mr. Carson is to be released immediately."

Jade looked over and caught Steven's eye. In her peripheral vision, she could see that nobody else was looking at them, so nobody else saw Steven mouth the words, "You're dead."

"This is unbelievable."

I stared up at the ceiling, still unsure of what to say. I hadn't really said much to anyone since we'd left the courthouse. My mind was reeling, wondering how and why things just so happened to work out so well. It didn't make sense.

"Nobody accidentally mishandles mountains of evidence. It's impossible to compromise that much just by some random happenstance."

Tori sighed and laid her head on my arm, "You're thinking way too much about this. Maybe someone did fuck up. It could be possible to fuck up so horribly that you defy all logic. I really doubt there would be any other explanation."

"What if someone..." I stopped as I suddenly remembered.

Flashback

I followed Tori back to the front door of the house, but just as I stepped onto the porch, I felt a hand on my arm. I looked back to see Charlie's hand wrapped tightly around my bicep and an intense look on his face.

"Listen up," he talked quietly, his eyes darting between my own and where Tori had gone. "Tori's a good kid. She made a big mistake joining up with us and the shit she's done will haunt her for a long time. She's got potential, don't let her waste it. Push her, force her out of her comfort zone, make her be as great as I know she can be. Do that, and take Steven out of the whole equation, and you have my word that she won't spend a day in jail."

I turned to say something to him, but he just let me go and shut the door. I wasn't totally sure how much I could trust the word of someone with his history, but I figured he'd rose to and stayed in power long enough that people had to have trusted him. I just couldn't help but wonder how he'd manage to pull off getting her out of that much trouble.

End of Flashback

"Charlie," I muttered.

Tori's curiosity seemed piqued at the name, "What?"

"When we went to visit him that one night, he stopped me as I was walking out the door and told me that if I did what he told me to, that he'd make sure you didn't spend a day in jail."

She raised an eyebrow, "What were his conditions?"

"That I take Steven out of the equation, and that I take care of you and make sure you end up being as great as he knew you would be."

"That sounds like Charlie, but..."

I looked over, "What?"

"We didn't really take care of Steven...he's a free man right now."

"Are you scared?"

She licked her lips and ran her fingers through her hair, "A little bit."

I rolled over to face her and reached out to touch her cheek. She flinched a little bit, then squeezed her eyes shut tight for a second, and whispered, "I'm sorry."

I hooked my hand around the back of her neck and pulled her into a kiss. I moved on top of her and pushed a few strands of hair away from her face, "You're safe with me. He won't ever hurt you again as long as I have a say in it."

"I don't want him to hurt you, either."

I smirked, "Give me a little bit of credit, I dodged a fucking bullet."

She shrugged, "Yes, but I'd prefer you not be in such a situation again."

I kissed her again, longer and more purposeful than the first. "I'll do whatever it takes, but everything will be okay."

"I was scared today," she whispered, her hands locked tightly around the back of my neck, "I was just as afraid as you were. Those few hours were horrible. I don't ever want to have to do that again."

"Those pictures bothered you, didn't they?" I recalled seeing crime scene photos as evidence in parts of the case. Some more graphic than others, but each and every one I could remember some little bit of information she had told me about the incident, and I knew it was tearing her apart to see it all over again.

She just nodded sadly.

"It's all over now, you don't have to worry about it anymore."

"I killed so many people, Jade," she mumbled, a tear escaping the corner of her eye.

I wiped it away with my thumb, "I know."

"I thought you would've been disgusted with me when you found out."

I shrugged, "I would be usually, but I know that the person who was responsible for all of those people wasn't you. I don't know who it was, but it wasn't the Tori I know. I'll make sure whoever that was never comes back."

"I don't want to be that person again."

"You won't be. I won't let you."

A/N: The first block is a conversation between Jade and a few of her trainers, one being Randy. The next one is a memory of an interview the CEO of SFC talking about Jade as a fighter. The second block is one part entirely made up of one of Jade's trainers talking, and the next is Jade, Randy, and James. The third block is a conversation between Jade and Tori, then between Jade and Randy.

I was having awful writer's block with this chapter, and decided to roll with what I was able to get. The next few days will be busy for me, so the next update will be at least next week.

"Never underestimate your opponent." Is a quote from Sun Tzu, who wrote The Art of War.