Disclaimer: The show Victorious, its characters and other associated copyrights are property of someone else and not me.

The replacement Date.

No One's POV.

Tori felt very self-conscious, sitting alone in the center of the fancy restaurant. It wasn't because she looked out of place. Far from it, as the Latina wore a simple but nice blue dress. It was the fact that she was alone. She looked at food, then her watch which read 8:12 and sighed.

Just a few days ago, Mark Van Hammond a very tall handsome looking senior with short light brown hair and a chiseled jaw rather unexpectedly asked Tori out. She had him in a couple of classes and had seen him around. He seemed friendly and outgoing, but she never really had a chance to talk to him. He said he had been interested in her for some time and finally got the courage to ask her out. He seemed down to earth and rather eager to take her out. He even offered to take her to a new steak place that had recently opened up.

Though it wasn't the person she really wanted to go out with, namely Jade, she liked him enough and said yes. A date was set for Friday night.

Her friends all seemed happy with the unexpected invitation. All except for Jade of course, who merely scowled and openly wondered if he had lost some sort of bet or somehow, just gone insane.

Tonight was the night, so Tori dressed up and at 7:00, Mark dressed up, with a nice white shirt and tie, came and picked her up. He was courteous, friendly and the conversation on the way to the restaurant seemed to flow well. All had gone fine at dinner. The restaurant was new but from what Tori heard, very good. They talked ordered and just before the food arrived, Mark excused himself to go to the bathroom.

That was 14 minutes ago.

Now Tori knew from her father that men could spend a considerable amount of time on the toilet. She loved her father but she hated how he stunk up the bathroom. But 14 minutes seemed a bit long. He didn't look sick or ill, in fact he seemed in good spirits when he left.

She was afraid to touch her food, before he came back as she thought it would be rude.

It seemed a bit strange and Tori began to worry.

Suddenly she could hear someone approach from behind and before she could even turn that someone walked around and sat down.

Only it wasn't Mark Van Hammond.

It was Jade.

She was dressed in one of nice looking Goth outfits, with nice leather boots, black leggings, a black skirt with black and crimson top. Her hair was done in broad curls and she seemed to have put a bit more attention to her make up.

Tori who was not in the mood to have her date ruined, quickly huffed. "Jade, I don't know why you're here, but I'm not in the mood for any of your games. Mark will be back any second. I 've never once bugged you on any date you ever had with Beck, when you were dating him. At the very least, I would ask the same courtesy. Now please leave."

Jade smiled and looked down at Marks plate. "Looks like a new York strip, done medium with garlic mashed potatoes and asparagus. I prefer the T-bone myself and a good prime rib when it's available, but this doesn't look too bad."

Jade then picked up the glass of red wine which Mark had ordered and took a sip. She quickly shook her head and put the glass down.

"Tastes line a Pinot Noir. With steak, God is that ever disgusting. Talk about bad taste. Should have gone with a nice Syrah. I'm, sure this place would have some. I'll have to ask the wine steward."

Tori's whole face began to turn red as the Latina quickly had to suppress the urge to strangle Jade in the middle of the restaurant.

"Jade what in the fuck are you doing! I'm on a fucking date. I don't need you fucking it up. Now leave me the fuck alone." Hissed Tori, in a forceful but quiet manner.

Looking offended, despite the fact she actually wasn't jade shook her head. "What the heck. You said fuck, four times in the same paragraph. What do you think this, is a Martin Scorsese film?"

"My date will be back any second and he's not going to be happy."

Jade nodded. "Oh I know he's not going to be happy. You're right about that, but the other part. He's not coming back."

Tori opened her mouth to speak, but stopped herself as the words sunk in. "What are you talking about. He's in the bathroom."

Jade paused as she became oddly serious. "No. He got up from the table, walked past the bathrooms and out the back way. Look Tori. There's no other way to say this but, he ditched you."

"You're lying. What did you do to him?" Tori snapped as she got up to head towards the bathroom to find Mark, only to be stopped when Jade grabbed her wrist.

"Let go of me!"

After taking a deep breath, Jade smiled, but not in a mean or sarcastic way. It was a nice smile, one reserved for a close friend.

"Look I have some explaining to do, just give me 5 minutes to do so. If at the end of that 5 minutes, you want me to leave or if Mark shows up before that, I'll do so and quietly." Then after a pause, Jade said softly. " Please."

It wasn't just the word please, but the way she had said it, sounding much like a plea, which got Tori's attention. It wasn't like Jade which was something that Tori could not ignore.

Tori looked at her watch impatiently. "You have 4 minutes. Now talk!"

Jade nodded and begun her story. "I found out purely by chance, this afternoon actually. I was coming out of the chemistry lab and headed towards my locker, when I heard voices coming from music practice room 6. The door wasn't fully shut. One of the voices was your paramour, Mark. "

"He's my date!" Tori snapped.

"Fine, date. Normally I wouldn't care, but it was the presence of the other voice which caused me to stop and listen. Glad I did. Do you want to know who Mark was talking too?"

Tori rolled her eyes. "Do I have a choice?"

"No. It was Ryder Daniels of all people and strangely enough, they were talking about his plans for this very date."

The mention of the name Ryder Daniels, caused Tori to suddenly pay much closer attention. She still wasn't sure if Jade was lying, but she now wanted to hear more than ever. "Go on."

"The plan was for Mark to ditch you just before the food arrived. Pretend to have to use the bathroom and sneak out the back. "

Jade then raised a pale finger in the air. "This is the part which I'll have to admit, I thought was rather clever. Ryder was in an alley across the street, with his cell phone waiting for Mark. They're plan was to wait for you to come out of the restaurant. More than likely by this time, you will have realized that not only you'd been ditched and left stranded, but stuck with the bill for 2 expensive steak dinners. You'd probably be humiliated, upset, crying, your nice make up running down your face. They of course were going to film you in your moment of utter humiliation and post it on the slap. Then you'd really be humiliated, in front of the whole school no less. If that doesn't qualify as cyber bullying, I don't know what would."

Stunned and now a bit upset, Tori shook her head in disbelief. "No, that can't be. NO. You're lying."

From her purse Jade pulled out her pear phone and hit play on a video. She then handed it to Tori. "I filmed this about 15 minutes ago."

Taking the phone in hand, Tori watched to see it was somewhat shaky footage of Ryder Daniels, in an alley crouching behind a dumpster with a cell phone in hand. He was watching the front door of this very restaurant which Tori could see in the background. A few moments later, a grinning Mark Van Hammond snuck up.

"All set Ryder?"

"Yeah, I even put a wireless mike in the flowers just outside the restaurant. So I won't miss any of Tori's wailing." Ryder then pretended to cry. "Oh Mark left me and now I have to pay for dinner, Why? "

"That will show the rotten bitch!" Sneered Mark. "It was a brilliant plan, I ditch her at the restaurant, leaving her holding the bag and the bill and you film Tori Vega's humiliation for all to see. It's payback time!"

The conversation continued, but Tori who was devastated by the revelation didn't watch. She put the phone down and slid it back to Jade.

"I thought he actually liked me. I didn't know he was a friend of Ryders."

"I asked Andre, who from what I remember, was in the same little league as Mark in both Grade and Middle school. He didn't remember at first but then it came to him. Ryder was also in the same little league and Mark and Ryder were always on the same team. Andre' told me they used to be good friends and lived right near each other. Recently they didn't seem to talk much but, it appears they've resurrected their friendship."

Now shaking and looking like she was on the verge of tears, Tori nodded. "So Ryder got his friend Mark to ask me out so he could get revenge for me humiliating him. I guess the jokes on me."

Her voice now shaking, Tori started to get up but sat down. "I need to go out the back, but I don't have enough money. What do I do?"

Before Jade could speak, Tori suddenly glared at Jade accusingly. "I get it, you're here cause you wanted to see my humiliation in person. Get a front row seat, well Fuck you!"

Again Tori started to get up and again Jade grabbed her wrist to stop her. "Cool your Jet's Vega. Those two goon's won't be filming anything. "

Jade then from her purse pulled out two more cell phones and tossed them on the table. "Ryders's and Marks phones. You see, those two morons were so closely watching the front door of this restaurant that they never noticed me coming up behind them. "Jade then smirked "Like something out of an old bug's bunny cartoon, I knocked their heads together. It stunned them pretty good, so I ripped off their cell phones."

Not knowing what to think, Tori briefly examined the cell phones and lowered her head. "Why? You hate me!"

For a moment there was silence that was only broken by the sounds of the restaurant around them.

Not looking up, Tori could hear Jade sigh, which again was unexpected. "When I learned what they were going to do. I realized I could let them go through with it and see you utterly humiliated….."

It was only when Jade let her voice trail off, did Tori look up and for a moment Tori thought Jade actually looked nervous.

When Jade spoke again, Tori realized Jade was nervous.

"But I couldn't do that." Jade's continued speaking but in tone of voice that was softer and actually sound vulnerable.

"Vega, I act like a gank a lot, I'm mean to you. But that's not the real me. Now how I really feel. For a long time I was afraid of what I felt….afraid to face it. So I act out in ways I don't want to sometimes. But as I said I couldn't let this happen to you….if I did I'd betray my own feelings. I….like you….alot and I couldn't let this happen to you. So I stopped it."

Feeling a bit overwhelmed by this admission, all tori could say was a soft, "Thank you."

"You're welcome…Tori can I ask you something."

"Ok."

"Look, I feel bad about this and a lot of other things. You're dressed up nice for a date, but now you don't have one…"

Then in a barely audible voice, Jade said. "Could I be your date? I'll pay for dinner and afterwards, take you where ever you want to do. "

Tori blinked twice, unable to speak.

"I like you…a lot and I know you like me. We're different, but you're pretty and make me smile, on the inside, I love when you sing….. I'm sorry…. Don't feel like I'm pressuring you..if you want to just go home and I won't blame you, I'll still pay for dinner. I'll even drive you home. I'm starting to babble. I'm nervous. It's hard for me to say these things

"Yes Jade." Tori said with a smile.

"Yes?"

"Yes, I'd love to have you as my date. You really like me?"

Her confidence returning, Jade picked up the fork and knife in front of her. She then started to cut into the steak, "Considering, I just committed what probably constitutes felony assault and robbery for you, I'd say that was a yes."

"And you want do date me?"

Jade shook her head and took a bite of steak. "My you're a bright one…..Yes…."

While excepting of this, Tori was still trying to wrap her mind around all of it. "Date me, as in more than once….."

Jade leaned over the table and scowled. "Get it through your thick skull Vega. I like you, I want to date you. If things go well and I do hope they do, that will constitute more dates, with more admissions of how if feel, holding hands and all the other sappy things that go along with being a couple, including listing myself as in a relationship with you on the slap. That's if you stop asking stupid questions and start eating your steak dinner…it's getting cold."

Jade then motioned to a passing waiter. "Hey you…send the wine steward over."

All Tori could do is grin as she stabbed dug into her own dinner. "Yes Jade."

After Tori took a bite, her face suddenly became worried. "What about Mark and Ryder? Won't they be waiting outside."

Jade took another bite and scoffed. "They have other things to worry about."

Just then the light's of a police car could be seen outside, through the windows of the restaurant."

"Ooooh…Just in time." Remarked Jade with an evil smile.

"Jade what did you do?"

"Yes I took their cell phones, I also took their shoes, socks, pants, underwear, wallets and keys. I tossed all that in the various dumpsters in the alley. Then I called the police to report two half naked men in the alley. I figured the police would arrive long before they managed to find any of their clothes. Looks like they…."

Jade was suddenly interrupted, by the voice of a police officer of the squad car's loudspeaker. "You two there, yeah, the ones not wearing any pants….hold it, you're both under arrest."

Jade sat up and turned her head so she could see outside, just in time to see Ryder and Mark, run off in a panic, followed by two police officers."

"They ran…they must be dumber than I thought. I think I'll even turn around and post my little video on the slap. See how they feel."

Tori shook her head. "No Jade. Don't. You've taught them their lesson and maybe I shouldn't stoop to their level."

Jade snorted in disappointment, but then reached across the table "Spoil sport! We'll just slash their tires when we leave. Deal."

Tori happily took Jade's hand and shook it. "Deal. Just one more thing?"

"Shoot, Vega?"

"You really like me as in someday wanting to get….."

Jade pounded her fist on the table in frustration. "Married someday, as in a me wear a wedding dress and say I do…. yes if you don't keep asking dumb questions and realize you'll have to watch the scissoring at least 4 times a year. Understand. That's non-negotiable."

Tori's eyes briefly bugged out, but quickly recovered. "I was going to say…get naked with me…but I'll take that. Believe me….I'll take that…..In fact I'll hold you to it."

Jade sneered. "I'm sure you will. Happy now! But don't forget the scissoring at least 6 times a year."

"Wait, you just said 4."

"Sorry Vega, you tricked me into saying I'd marry you, that's going to cost you extra!"

"I didn't trick you…..You've already pictured our wedding in your mind haven't you." Tori gushed.

"I admit nothing! But so help me god, if your wedding dress is prettier than mine, they'll never find your body. Now eat!"

Tori could only grin in response…..

Just a one shot I thought up, though I do admit to incorporating some idea's I've previously used. I just hope you like it.