Disclaimer: I don't own.

Warning: yea, some people are like this.

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Jade glared at the boy sitting across from her, thinking again that this was the worst idea she'd ever come up with. "This had better work." She growled.

"It will." Samantha Puckett, Cat's roommate and former internet darling, assured her. "It will. Girls love it when guys can solve their problems."

"Do you?" The goth asked the equally dangerous blond.

"We're not exactly normal girls." Sam chuckled. "For whatever reasons, we've come to expect we'll have to do things for ourselves." Blue eyes caught blue. "But answer me this. You're man, Beck, when you two were dating, did he ever fix things up for you?"

"I was more then capable of fixing my own chiz, thank you very much." The dark haired girl replied. "Honestly, you can't expert a guy to make your problems go away. You have to be willing to face them, deal with them on your own. Repairing stuff, that's just part of the deal. It's like us, we both have mad repair skills, overlapping but different areas. You can fix cars, do some basic around the home repairs, and that kind of chiz, cause of what you were interested in studying. Me, I wound up knowing a great deal about electronics, basic construction, and things related to the stage."

"Um, Jade, please don't kill me, but I think we agreed that wire would be red." Robbie interrupted. "You know, cause keeping things consistent makes it easier to repair later, if we need to."

"I like black." Jade groaned, but focused on finding the right wire.

"So, we finish repairing this, uh, what is it anyways?" Sam asked.

"This is just a few components of a broken effects machine." Rob told her. "Loads of electronics, with some mechanical parts, used to control effects for stage and screen. Sound effects, some visual, can be run from this console, live."

"And when it's done being fixed up, that hottie in his comedy class will realize he cares for her, and wasn't just doing it to get into her pants." Jade finished. "Guys fix things, build things, to impress girls."

"Kinda what I was just saying." Sam huffed at her friend. "So, this is what he's doing now that Cat's dating that dweeb?"

"Cat just doesn't get that she can't both want Rob here for herself, and look around to see if there's something better." Jade told the blond. "New guys a skeeze, and I don't trust him. Still, you vouched for him, so I'm withholding judgment until he messes up. THEN, I beat the tar outta him."

"I never said he was perfect, just that he won't hurt Cat." The shorter girl insisted. "He could be good for her. We just need to give her some times. And if Nerdio here finding love in a would be comedian is what it takes, then I'm happy to help you do whatever it is your hoping to do with Robbie." She glanced at the boy. "So, this girl, she's hot, right?"

"Majorly." Robbie agreed.

"And Jade's afraid she'll go after her man?" The blond continued.

"No, Jade's no longer seeing Beck." Rob said, keeping it short. "Honestly, not sure why she's helping me, other then somehow, she benefits from me hooking up. I just, I have no idea what this girl has that Jade wants. Hoping it's noting too bad, cause I'm a lover, not a fighter."

"What she has is the ability to force Cat to make decision." Jade told them. "Plus, I do kinda owe Rob here one assistance. I wasn't there for him nearly as much as our other friends, and I need to balance the scales a bit."

"Half a ton of reconditioned effects machinery should win him some brownie points." The blond nodded. "And I will admit, he's not bad at working the electronics."

"We were all expected to be able to handle the technical side of theater." Rob told her. "I was the second highest score ever in tech Theater. Made it a point to know how everything worked, how to fix problems, run the boards, do the behind the stage chiz. Figured it'd make it easier to get hired in the industry while I was working on my comedy. The troupe I'm in, they appreciate that I can run so much of this stuff."

"Miss thang…" Jade started.

"Her names Jasmine." Robbie said. "Kinda rude to keep referring to her as just the hottie. I mean, she's a person, right?"

Jade smirked. "I only believe that cause I saw her, spoke to her, and know she's real." She looked over to Sam. "Get this, girls a model who used to make jokes on the set, cause it's funny how sexualized kids can be these days. Anyways, she decided that now, with her time running out cause she's in her early twenties, she's gonna learn her some comedy so she can work when her looks start to give out. And she kinda likes Robbie. That, or she's using him to help build her skills. Either way, she needed this contraption, and Rob here found one, repaired it, and will have it for her to use, well withing her scarce little budget for her performance."

"I had help." The boy admitted.

"You don't have to be modest." Sam told him.

"No, just indulging in a little self preservation." Rob quipped. "I mean, how many guys out there go to their toughest friends, the one's who can brawl better then most, and come out on top in any type of violence, beg them for help, and still be the only man in the room?"

"I suspect there are some." Sam said. "So, Jade, you suggested he fix something up for her, or tracked this thingamajig down, helped his buy it, and set to repairing the thing?"

"What difference does it make who did what?" The brunet said. "This'll win Rob there his girls heart, and that will help everyone."

"Admit it, this is about Beck, isn't it?" Robbie seemed bold when he shifted the subject. "You feel you have to be a better person, so you started helping your friends. Don't get me wrong, this is wonderful, and deeply appreciated, but…" He was cut off.

"So close, and yet so off." The goth said, smiling as she talked over him. "Yes, it has to do with me and Beck no longer being an object, but it's more me realizing the fantasy I was slowly losing about who he was, as opposed to who he was gonna be. I saw all the things a girl could want in him, not realizing that I was holding onto the wrong set of things. Basically, I was holding onto the things I used to want, as opposed to what I want now. See, Rob, while we'll never date, in some very small ways, you're a better catch then Beck. You at least can allow yourself to be the but of the joke. You also have the beginnings of so many other qualities, like willingness to help a friend, even when your own heart is breaking. Remember your time as Wig master to Beck's student film? You helped Cat, even though it meant you not getting the girl. Yea. You can be talented, and sweet, and before you say anything, I'm not interested. I just, I wanna see you happy too, cause in your own weird way, you've often helped me more then Beck did. Usually it was as Tori's henchman, but you did, and that's deeply appreciated."

"Wow, the circle turns." Robbie said, glancing at where Rex had been watching the whole time. The puppet had decided, at the beginning of this endeavor, to stay quiet, least the two psychotic girls tear him limb from limb.

"Well, we're out of school." Jade shrugged. "Time to grow up."

"Yep." The nerdy boy agreed. "Still, thanks. Not sure I could have found this all on my own."

"You'd have done fine." Sam assured him. "Guys who can build, fix things, they'll always be in demand."

"No, they'll be better able to show they care." Jade corrected. "Guys who know how to flirt will be in demand. Rob only has his shot with this Jasmine girl because they share a class. But when he shows her he's resourceful, able to find what she needed, fix it up so it works, and kept her under budget, she'll see he's more then just a funny guy who can make her laugh. THEN, the romance will begin. And Rob, yes, fixing things, setting up electronics, those are ways to show you care. But the real challenge will be using your words, to actually express yourself. As effeminate as you may be sometimes, you're really not that good at that. Honestly, even Beck wasn't that good."

"So, is that why you two broke up?" Sam wondered.

"No." Jade smiled, an odd reaction given how hyper jealous she'd been of the boy in the past. "I used to be chiz at letting people in too. I just, I need to grow up, change, and this is one of many, many steps along the way. Only then, will I feel ready to risk a romance." She shrugged. "Honestly, Beck and me, we were into the drama, and I won't grow as long as I hold onto that dynamic. No, I need to be better, help my friends sometimes, find the balance of working for myself and others. This, it's a step. Just showing I care through fixing things up."

"Thanks." Robbie said. "And I believe we're done."

"She'd better be hot." Sam joked. "Hot and bothered, turned on by a man who can fix things up."

"Mostly, use this as an opening." Jade added. "Guys often think of the physical, taking care of us, fixing things, as what we need. They build their identities, their value of themselves, on how well they can take care of others. Fixing problems and earning a living. Providing."

"Yea, you were kinda covering this." Sam said, but seemed to agree. "And in his defense, girls do seem to like that chiz."

"Early on." Jade said. "But as time goes on, we want our man to listen to us. Communicate. Help us deal with the problems inside, the one's that cannot just be fixed. THEN, after, we want them to unclog the drain. You know, show us they're manly, but also sensitive."

"I thought sensitive was dead." Rob noted.

"Nahh, girls just figured out that guys can fake it." Rex chimed in. "What? I get where everyone is trying to go with this conversation. It's just, it's dead. You covered it. Rob can win this girl by being handy, but needs to show he gets her feelings if he wants to use those hands."

"Clarification, Girls want a man, just one who's in touch with their feelings." Jade tried. "I know, kinda complicated. But it's what girls want, that connection, as well as having their lady parts stimulated. Give us both, and we're happy." Her smile was a touch dark. "As happy as we can be. Thing is, sooner or later, we'll show a different side, and leave everyone guessing. It's just how we're wired."

"Sounds like fun." Rob said, and for once, he wasn't being sarcastic. "I mean, I can do the sensitive part, but the manly chiz, that's always been hard for me. But Jade, she told me to just be funny, in a less insulting way, and then show confidence, and I'd do fine."

"Confidence is manly." Jade assured him.

"So, this thing weights half a ton." Sam noted. "How the hell are we gonna get it from here to where you'll need it?"

"Didn't think of that." Jade said, making a thinking face.

"I have access to a van." Robbie told them. "And a few guys. Plus, a dolly, if I need it. No worries. And Jade, Sam... Again, thanks. I appreciate your looking out for my love life." He stood up, moving around to look at the project at another angel. "And Jade, don't worry, you'll be ready for love real soon, and some lucky fella will find out just how much of a catch you can be."

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Please, let me know if this was any fun to read, or just showing that Victorious, and the sister shows to it, had some interesting dynamics.