Chapter 4

Beck came to school the next day with dark circles under his eyes. Jade showed up at his locker with a cup of coffee, which he took gratefully. As he drank, something occurred to him.

"When people saw me take that from you, did it look like a cup of coffee appeared in mid-air?" He mused aloud. Jade chuckled.

"No. One of the things about us is that if anyone sees our partner- who would be the one we came back for- doing anything weird that might let them know we're there, it kind of falls to the back of their head. If we stood right in front of Tori and I handed you that coffee and you asked her a second later where you got it, she would have no idea. See, look." She dragged him over to where Tori, Andre, Cat, and Robbie were standing, talking quietly. She took the coffee from him. "Say hi." Beck did as she asked, and the others in the group greeted him. "Now watch this." She gave the coffee back to him. No one even looked.

"Do you know where I got this coffee from?" Beck asked the rest of the group. They gave him slightly concerned looks, as though they were worried for his mental health.

"I wasn't really paying attention, but I'm pretty sure you had that when you came over here." Tori said slowly, looking confused. Beck grinned as Jade began laughing.

"That's hilarious. And it works with anything. See, look." She grabbed Tori's backpack and flung it onto the floor. No one even blinked. And when Cat asked her for her Drama notes, she picked it up as if she had put it there herself.

"It really helps make our job easier." Jade told him as he watched Tori go through her backpack, wondering why her pencils were all broken.

"What is your job?" Beck asked curiously. Jade shook her head. "I'm not allowed to tell you until you find out what I am. Sorry. You know, because it might help you too much."

"I get it."

"Beck? Beck!" Andre waved his hand in front of Beck's face, drawing his attention away. "Yeah? Sorry, I was thinking."

"Are you okay?" Andre asked, concerned.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Really." Jade whispered something quickly to him and he repeated what she said. "I'm just really tired. Jade told me to look some stuff up, she kept bugging me about it all night. Tell me again what you were saying?" Beck asked him casually.

Andre glanced at the others with a scared look in his eyes before repeating himself. "Cat stopped by the hospital this morning and the doctors say she's not doing very well. Her- her chances aren't too good."

Beck glanced at Jade, who smiled and winked. He grinned widely as the world became slightly more colorful.

"Really? That's great! It's good to know I'm on the right track." He said happily. The others gave him terrified looks and started talking amongst themselves as he kissed Jade quickly on the cheek.

"They're going to think I'm a psychopath."

"I know. But I'm worth it."

"You definitely are."

That afternoon, Beck took his laptop with him to the hospital and began looking up everything he could that would have to do with demons, devils, love, passion, and he even searched Jade's name as though the devil might have posted what she was. He stayed there until Jade shook him and told him the hospital visiting hours were over in five minutes. He grinned, feeling satisfied with his work. And as he left the room, there was the slightest pause in Jade's heart monitor.

A week later, Beck waited for Jade to get home from 'work' with a huge smile on his face. As she came through the door, Beck stood up and kissed her forcefully, shoving her against the wall. She widened her eyes in surprise before responding. Just as she was getting into it, Beck pulled away, grinning and breathing heavily.

"I know what you are."

"Really?" She asked him skeptically, though she was secretly excited.

Beck led her to the couch, pulled her down and pointed to the computer screen. "A Succubus. You are a demon who came back for the soul reason of having a serious but unwedded relationship with a 'human', and, to a lesser degree, have sex and terrify anyone who threatens your relationship. You are prone to fits of extreme jealousy of woman who interact with your human. It's you with super powers and a hyperactive sex drive."

Jade grinned. "And one more thing." Beck furrowed his brow. "What?" He questioned.

Jade stood up, took her shirt and shorts off and brushed her hair away from her face. "You can't freak out though. It's not exactly humanoid." Beck nodded. He would probably not freak out if she became a giant red devil woman, as long as she kept her shirt off. Jade noticed where his eyes were going and smirked.

"You might want to focus for this." She said smugly. Beck snapped his eyes back up. "Right, sorry."

She closed her eyes and her breathing sped up. At first it sounded as though she was terrified of something. Then Beck gasped.

Her skin quickly faded, even paler, much paler than her own skin and it seemed to have a very slight purple tint. Torn purple bat wings unfurled and a sharp forked tail whipped around her as small horns rose.

Her breathing finally calmed and she turned to him, her eyes much bluer than normal for her or any human for that matter. Beck stared for a moment finally he exclaimed, "That is sick! Oh my god! Whoa!" He stood up to examine her. He felt her wings and watched her tail flick back and forth like a cat's. "I cannot even find the words to describe how cool this is."

"So you're not freaked out?" She asked carefully. He saw small fangs protruding from her mouth.

"No. Well, yeah, I am, but that's amazing!" Beck said excitedly.

"Good. I was kind of afraid once I showed you my demon form you would get scared and leave."

"Jade, I would lo-" Beck started, but Jade threw a hand over his mouth, her eyes gleaming.

"That's it. That's the other thing. But wait until we get to the hospital. And invite Tori and Andre and Cat and Robbie, too." She smiled, her fangs gleaming.

"Whatever you say, babe."

"Tori?" Beck asked, his voice shaky. He was sitting in the hospital, while Jade stood next to him with her hand on his head, making his voice choked as though he were crying.

"Yeah?" Tori's voice responded nervously. Beck took a deep shaky breath and told her, "I think you should get over here."

"Okay. We'll be over as soon as we can."

"Hurry."

Beck looked down at coma-Jade as demon-Jade (who was humanoid once again) pulsed energy through her, making coma-Jade pale, thin, and sickly. Even though he knew she would be back instantly, it was weird to think he would be watching his girlfriend die in a few minutes.

The door opened quietly as Andre, Cat, Robbie, and Tori walked in quietly, looking solemn. Jade had some type of magic that could control people's thoughts and emotions, and she had made it appear as though Beck was crying.

"She's not going to wake up." Beck said shakily, his breath short and fast. The four teens nodded in depressed agreement and sat in various chairs. Cat sat on the edge of Jade's bed.

Beck was about to say it when Jade laid a hand on his shoulder. "Not yet," She whispered, even though they couldn't hear her. "I want to know what they really think about me."

After a few moments, Robbie coughed quietly. "She's not so scary when she's… You know…"

"She's so beautiful." Andre choked, smiling through tears. "I… I fell in love with her once."

"What?" Beck asked in a way that should be sharp, but he was too sorry to see his friend crying to be cross. He supposed he should get used to seeing people cry, now that Jade was coming back worse- better- than ever.

"I didn't mean to. But one day we were in the studio and she started singing and she didn't look so mean anymore. Tori had to help me get over her, I ended up writing '365 Days' for her to get it out of my system. But she's still beautiful."

Jade shot an incredulous look at Beck, who smiled very slightly.

"Ha, I remember that," Tori laughed sadly. "I dunno why I always got the roles in the school performances. She's such a passionate actor- you always believed everything she said."

Jade laughed quietly. "Now more than ever." She told Beck conspiratorially.

Suddenly Cat started sobbing. She grabbed Jade's hand and held it to her chest. "Come on, Jade, wake up now. It's not nighttime now, it's time to wake up! Jade, this isn't funny anymore!"

"Now." Jade told Beck quietly. "Are you ready?" Beck nodded slightly.

He walked to Jade's bed, leaned to her ear, and whispered, "I love you, Jade West." He kissed her forehead gently and held it for a minute before straightening up.

And as one Jade lay down carefully in the place of the other, there was a long, resounding beeeeeeeep.

Cat held Jade's hand and cried for a few minutes before Tori put her arm around her and began leading her out. Just as they were about to walk out there was a loud gasp.

Jade's eyes flew open and her chest heaved as she took the first breath in over a month. In limbo, there was no need to breathe, so she had never noticed how starving for oxygen she was. She stared at the ceiling dramatically while inconspicuously shooting magic from her fingertips towards Beck, who seemed incapable of acting surprised his girlfriend had just come back from the dead.

Tori, Cat, and Robbie turned around, while Andre who had still been sitting merely jumped so high he fell off his chair. Cat let out a loud scream until Tori clapped her hand over her mouth. They watched in shock as Jade took long deep breaths and her heart monitor buzzed resolutely.

"But- how-" Tori stuttered. Jade turned her head to her slowly and smiled before she lifted a hand holding a long cord.

"Heart monitors aren't exactly reliable. They break, they malfunction, they get unplugged…"

The next day Jade West walked into Hollywood Arts looking healthy as ever. Beck was on her arm, grinning like an idiot. The world was still slightly foggy, but he didn't care. He would find out what else he needed to do later. Until then, he would just be happy he could be with a girlfriend everybody could see.

As they walked into Sikowitz's class, he stared at her. "Jade?! I thought you were in the hospital! In fact, we got word from the hospital this morning you were declared dead!"

Jade smiled dangerously. "Well, you know, sell my soul and servitude to the devil for eternal life. It seems like something I would do, doesn't it?" She chuckled. Sikowitz looked scared while Beck laughed loudly.

"Just hope they don't believe you, I like that plan." He whispered to her, smirking. She nodded and took her seat, pulling him down with her.

Students quickly began filing in, whispering as they saw the dead demon. Jade smiled around at them terrifyingly, her teeth glinting.

A few minutes into class, Sikowitz called Beck, Tori, and Robbie up for an improv. Jade watched with sharp eyes as they acted, her eyes turning just slightly brighter blue. She knew what was going to happen. She only hoped Beck would be okay with it, because it was too late anyway.

"But Angela, you're engaged to him," Robbie told Tori quietly, brushing her hair out of her face. She nodded.

"I know, but I don't love him and he doesn't love me." Tori responded. Beck walked up behind her just as she leaned forward to kiss Robbie.

"Angela, who is this?" He asked her coldly, looking deadly. Robbie gulped.

"I- I should go-" He stuttered before backing off the stage. Tori turned to Beck, reaching for his arm. As her hand touched him, she froze and her eyes widened. Jade knew why- he was stone cold. Cold as death.

She recovered quickly, though she looked unnerved.

"Look, Mason, I know we're betrothed, but I don't love you and you don't love me. I would rather die than live a life with a man I don't love." She started walking off stage.

"Then die you shall." Beck growled, plunging an invisible sword into her back. She lurched, then fell back against him.

She laid there for a moment before she suddenly straightened, staring at Beck as though he really had tried to kill her.

"You- you and- and her- Jade- you're not-" Tori stuttered, her face white as a sheet.

"Angela, what are you talking about?" Beck asked warily, trying to stay in character even though his fiancé had just come back to life.

"Your heart-" Tori breathed, staring at him. "It isn't beating."

A/N; Oh whoa! What has Beck gotten himself into? Is he going to regret agreeing to help bring Jade back to life? No… Of course not.