Everything She Does is Beautiful

Beck and Jade (and all of the people) board the duck truck and ride to the airport.

For the first time since they had arrived in Yerba, all was well.

The scene wasn't perfect, of course. They were all dirtied from prison life, naturally, and exhausted from running. There was a woman in the corner whom Beck didn't recognize, and in the other corner, Trina, whose complaining didn't always light up the room. Everyone was bruised from prison fights and rough Yerbanian soldiers. And they were still fugitives in a strange country.

But now, despite all the disaster they'd seen on this trip, Beck knew with certainty that they were going home – and this knowledge colored everything more brightly. He could not mind when Trina flirted with him, or when Tori complained about feeling dirty, or when Robbie refused to stop hugging André, or even when Cat screamed at the top of her lungs every time the truck drove over a large bump in the road. He could only sit back, close his eyes, and sigh in relief, for knowing that the unusual bunch of friends, plus a few others, were together again.

Also together were he and Jade, and somehow, this turned an annoying truck ride into a moment in heaven.

He didn't know how they had wound up here, so close when so soon after a fight. The last time they had spoken before the prison performance, they had disagreed over her attempt to get them out. All he remembered was seeing red, or maybe green, when he caught her flirting relentlessly with a prison guard; and though he had known why she did it, he had been too jealous to resist an argument. It hadn't helped that metal bars had kept them apart for nearly a week – not to touch, not to hold, and not to kiss. Perhaps this had been the origin of their frustration.

Sometime since then, their hearts had changed. Maybe while they watched each other perform, or maybe as they ran from the prison, they had forgiven the issue; but certainly, they had forgotten it by the time they loaded into the duck truck. The instant they set foot in the vehicle, Beck's arms were around her, and he pulled her against him, holding her for the first time in what felt like a year – and he kissed her, and he pressed her into his chest, and he realized, for the first time in too long, how much those simple actions meant to him.

Now, in the full darkness of night and shivering against the cold air, she lay curled in his arms. She rested her head on his shoulder, and there, they sat in long spells of silence. They merely listened to everyone's busy chattering, and relaxed.

"I can't wait for a shower!" Tori said for what was probably the fifth time in twenty minutes.

"I can't wait for a hamburger," André replied, and then followed, "Robbie, would you scoot over?"

"Sorry."

"We're going really fast!" Cat pointed out, and turned in her seat to sit up on her knees. Then she stuck her tongue out like a dog in a car window.

"Cat, that's dangerous-"

"Shoosh!" she shot back at Robbie, who promptly shooshed.

While Tori and André tag-teamed telling Cat to sit back down, Beck pulled Jade closer into his chest and exhaled a long breath. "You tired?" he asked, though he knew the answer. She had been drifting in and out of sleep for a while now.

His question must have jarred her from her half-sleeping state; she jolted under his jacket, eyes slowly opening to look up at him. "I'll sleep on the plane."

"We won't be at the airport for a while. We've gotta get past the border first."

"Mhmm."

Beck smiled at her sleepy response and ran his hand through her hair. He wouldn't have to convince her to sleep at this rate. So he laid his head on hers and stretched back in his seat. He was content to lie there without another word.

But still, he felt a sort of guilt prompting him to speak. "Babe?"

"Yeah?"

He swallowed. "I'm sorry about all of this. Not going to Cancun, you know. And fighting."

And she replied with something she rarely ever said without being asked. "I'm sorry."

"What?"

"I said I'm sorry," she repeated under her breath.

"Sorry, what was that?"

"Shut up!" she said playfully, and shoved him. "I am. And when we get back… I'm… gonna try to fix things with your aunt. Maybe."

Beck blinked in surprise, his teasing nature gone in an instant. "Really?"

"Don't make a big deal out of it," she muttered, and kissed his chest where his jumpsuit unbuttoned.

In reply, he kissed the top of her head and whispered, "I love you."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

She sighed a tired breath. "I love you, too."

Disclaimer: I don't own Victorious or its characters.

This is called "resolution", I think? Is that what this is supposed to be?

But seriously, I'm glad I read back on this and posted. It's been great to revisit the fandom and see some of my old writing published again. Thank you guys so much for bearing with me one more time. Don't forget to leave your final thoughts in that comment section – it would make my day.

I now retreat back into the depths. Thanks again :)

**-Songbird341-**