"So In Love With Two"- Mikaila

No Air

Disclaimer: I do not own Victorious nor Big Time Rush, or any actors/actresses who portray them. I also do not own any songs used throughout the story plot- just the idea

Thank you for reviewing, everyone! Please enjoy the next chapter of "So in Love With Two"!~

Pairing: Beck/Jade/James

Song(s) included: "No Air" by Jordin Sparks ft. Chris Brown, "Just the Girl" by The Click Five

+++Previously:

"No," he instantly protested, his eyes widening in panic. He recovered quickly and smoothed his hands through his hair to make sure he hadn't messed it up during the video. "I mean, no, that's okay. I'll do the duet with you."

Nodding, she began walking off, but added over her shoulder, "Good. We start working on it tomorrow."

When she was out of sight, James jumped up excitedly and fist-pumped the air for the second time that day. "Yes!"

+++Present Time:

With Jade and James

James hummed a melody under his breath, his pencil tapping against the counter of his and the guys' apartment kitchen island. Jade was sitting on the opposite side of him, and he couldn't help how his hazel eyes would drift up to look at her when he thought she wouldn't notice.

Thankfully, the two had the place to themselves. Carlos was hanging out with Kendall, who had decided to pay his mom and sister a visit, and Logan was off tutoring someone. Without outside distractions, James figured he could show Jade how cool he was and how right they would be together, as a couple.

After all, they were making a duet; they were both extremely good-looking people, and they had amazing chemistry (at least, from James's end he thought so)- What more reason did they need?

"Why don't you take a picture? It'll last longer," Jade commented in exasperation, her ice-blue eyes coming up to shoot a glare at the brunette across from her.

Said brunette hadn't noticed how he'd stared at her instead of just glancing. His cheeks felt hot and he knew he was blushing. He was James Diamond, after all- and James Diamond did not stare.

"Oh, right, sorry," he mumbled, embarrassed. His gaze shot back down to the music sheet he'd been going over and his pencil resumed its tapping against the counter. "So, come up with any ideas for a song for us to sing?"

Jade didn't let the subject change affect her. "No," she answered shortly, her own eyes returning to the paper she'd been doodling ideas down on. "It's a little hard, considering you always sing in a group, so I'm not sure what you sound like, individually."

Near her elbow, her phone buzzed but it went ignored. It was probably just Cat, but the Goth didn't have time to be distracted. Her CD debut was coming up and she needed this last song to be a hit. Her redheaded best friend would understand.

"Well, how about I sing something for you?" James suggested, grinning at the idea of being able to impress her.

She raised a brow, looking back up to see if he was serious. "Really? Right here, right now?"

He shrugged casually. "Sure, why not?" he replied, standing.

Waving a hand, she said, "Alright."

"Any requests?" he asked, rubbing his hands together eagerly.

"Just sing something," she impatiently answered, becoming annoyed.

Not needing any more prompting, James cleared his throat before he started singing a song he favored when he thought of Jade.

Just the Girl:

"She's cold and she's cruel
But she knows what she's doin'
She pushed me in the pool
At our last school reunion
She laughs at my dreams
But I dream about her laughter
Strange as it seems
She's the one I'm after

'cause she's bittersweet
She knocks me off of my feet
And I can't help myself
I don't want anyone else
She's a mystery
She's too much for me
But I keep comin' back for more
She's just the girl I'm lookin' for

She can't keep a secret
For more than an hour
She runs on 100 proof attitude power
And the more she ignores me
The more I adore her
What can I do?
I'd do anything for her"

Jade lightly bobbed her head to James's voice. It was smooth and deep. It kind of reminded her of Beck's voice, when her ex actually bothered to sing, but James's voice was more lived-in. It was obvious the brunette was a singer and had practiced and practiced until he got his voice exactly where he wanted it.

How could she make snide comments at someone who had worked just as hard as she did?

"'cause she's bittersweet
She knocks me off of my feet
And I can't help myself
I don't want anyone else
She's a mystery
She's too much for me
But I keep comin' back for more
She's just the girl I'm lookin' for

And when she sees it's me
On her caller ID
She won't pick up the phone
She'd rather be alone
But I can't give up just yet
Cause every word she's ever said
Is still ringin' in my head
Still ringin' in my head

She's cold and she's cruel
But she knows what she's doin'
Knows just what to say
So my whole day is ruined"

James hoped his message was getting across to Jade. He took encouragement by her expression; she looked a little impressed with his singing ability and that was key. Hopefully, this would convince her they should go out on a date, at the very least.

Grinning charmingly, he continued with the rest of the song, pouring his heart into this entire private performance.

"Cause she's bittersweet
She knocks me off of my feet
And I can't help myself
I don't want anyone else
She's a mystery
She's too much for me
But I keep comin' back for more

Cause she's bittersweet
She knocks me off of my feet
And I can't help myself
I don't want anyone else
She's a mystery
She's too much for me
But I keep comin' back for more
Oh, I keep comin' back for more
She's just the girl I'm lookin' for
Just the girl I'm lookin' for

Just the girl
I'm lookin' for
She's just the girl
I'm lookin' for
Just the girl
I'm lookin' for
Just the girl I'm lookin' for"

When he finished, he bowed dramatically while Jade clapped. Charming grin in place, he stood straight and retook his seat in front of her.

"So, were you impressed?"

Jade shrugged her slim shoulders, pretending indifference, but James could see the coy look in her eyes. "It was good enough, I suppose. I've heard worse."

He knew she didn't truly mean it, so didn't get offended. Instead, he continued to smile at her. "Thanks," he said, "Did my performance inspire you into thinking about lyrics?"

She grabbed her pear-phone to finally check to see what Cat wanted. While she scrolled through some texts, she answered, "Not really, but I now have an idea of what you sound like. Today wasn't a total waste of my time."

James rolled his eyes playfully. "Gee, good to know."

Something on her screen caught her attention, and Jade paused. Rereading what Cat had sent, a grin touched her beautiful features. "Wanko's is having a huge sale," she said, mostly to herself. James, however, was curious. "It starts tonight at seven. I have to text Cat back."

Moving her thumbs easily, she started composing her response while James watched with a raised brow.

"What's a 'Wanko's'?" he asked, unfamiliar with the term.

Jade waved a careless hand, her gaze never once leaving her screen. "Everyone knows what Wanko's Warehouse is."

"Obviously, I don't," James dryly said, pouting. Her attention was supposed to be on him today!

Scoffing, she replied, "Whatever, it doesn't matter. We're gonna have to stop working in a couple of hours. I'm meeting Cat and the others later to catch a ride with Andre. He offered to drive in his grandma's van."

Sighing, the handsome brunette had no choice but to agree. However, he did file away the information she'd unknowingly given him for later. It would seem he knew what he and the guys were doing tonight…

+++BTR Apartment:

Later that Afternoon

"Hey, where's Jade?" Kendall asked curiously as he and Carlos walked through the door. "I figured you two would still be working on your song. Did you guys finish early?"

From his position hovering over Logan's shoulder, James gave his other two roommates a quick look before refocusing on the more important task- finding and locating this store Jade was excited about.

"No, we didn't finish at all. We barely wrote anything down. Jade had to leave because of something her friend texted her about."

"Wanko's Warehouse," Logan supplied helpfully, fingers dancing over the keys of his laptop. "I gotta tell you, I've never heard of this place before, but it's amazing. They have everything! Including walkie talkies."

With an innocent look, Carlos questioned, "What's a 'Wanko's'?"

James was proud of the fact he was able to finally answer that question, considering Jade had thought he was stupid for not knowing. "It's a huge department store that sells pretty much everything, like Logan said. I mean, they even sell bins! That's so cool."

Kendall cut into the conversation. "Anyway… What does Wanko's Warehouse have to do with Jade?"

"She's going there tonight with her friends for this big sale they're having," James answered, his attention once again focused on the subject at hand. "I figured we could go down there and keep her company, too."

The tall blonde shrugged, smiling. "Sure, I've got nothing better to do. Oh, before I forget, my mom wants Jade to come over to her place soon. She's fond of her, as she puts it."

James nodded, happy that Mama Knight liked Jade so much. If he was lucky, Jade would be around for a long time.

"Well, if we're going, we should start getting ready," Logan commented, closing his laptop. "With a sale this big, there's bound to be a line. We should leave as soon as possible, especially since we don't know where the store is, exactly."

"Man, I don't really like long lines," James said, grimacing at the thought.

Kendall nodded in agreement. "I don't like it either. I don't like it one bit."

"I love lines," Carlos grinned, "They're like long, single-file parties!"

Patting the Latino on his helmet-covered head encouragingly, the other three guys walked away to their rooms to get ready. Knowing James, he would take the longest but he wanted to be sure he looked good for Jade, and his clothing selection was limited to dark colors he knew she'd prefer.

Besides, he knew better than anyone that one shouldn't rush perfection.

+++Wanko's Warehouse:

With Jade and the Gang

Jade walked with Tori to talk to Sinjin and his friend, Burf, although the Goth didn't think the two would be all that helpful. However, he was the one with the spot in line, versus the very back, so she couldn't exactly complain, right?

In his normally creepy-wistful voice, the wheat-blonde greeted, "Hi Jade."

"Yeah, whatever," she replied, crossing her arms under her breasts. She now kind of wished she'd stayed with James at his apartment, if it meant getting away from Sinjin, but beggars couldn't be choosers and all that.

Tori sent the two tech nerds a friendly smile. "Hey guys. We were just wondering if we could cut in line with you? Since we're friends and all." The last was forced out, but the two boys didn't seem to notice, which was the main part.

"You want to hang out with us?" Sinjin asked incredulously, though his gaze never once strayed from Jade's form.

"Yeah, sure," the Latina replied, ignoring the glare her Gothic friend gave her. "So, can we cut in line and hang out with you two?"

Sinjin finally tore his eyes away from Jade in order to look at Burf. Burf nodded his agreement.

"Sure," the wheat-blonde said, turning back to Tori and Jade, "Get the rest of the gang and you can cut in line."

Tori cheered in relief, "Yay!"

"Then, at two, we can break out the thermos of cocoa," he added, smiling widely at the thought.

Tori and Jade stopped their retreat, both glancing at each other before locking eyes with Sinjin. "We're not gonna be in this line at two," the former pointed out, confused.

"Yeah, we are. The sale doesn't start till seven."

Jade grabbed out her phone to check the time. "It's six-forty-five now," she stated, starting to glare at the lanky teen sitting in front of her.

Sinjin slightly cowered at her glare, but stated, "Y-Yeah, six-forty-five at night."

"Well, yeah," Tori replied, like it was obvious, which it was.

"The sale doesn't start till seven in the morning."

Tori's and Jade's jaws dropped in surprise. The latter was able to recover quicker, snapping out, "Seven in the morning? You're saying that the sale doesn't start for another twelve hours?" She could have worked on her duet with James if she'd known!

Sinjin gave his long-time crush a dopey smile. "That's right. Looks like we have a long night of snuggling ahead of us."

Jade's nose wrinkled in disgust. Not wanting to deal with him anymore, she turned and stomped away. "Let's get out of here, Vega. We'll think of something else."

Only too eager to comply, Tori quickly followed the Goth on her heels.

Sinjin watched as the two girls walked away, then turned his attention onto Burf. "They'll be back," he slyly said, smiling.

Burf nodded in agreement. Casually, he reached into a bag and pulled out a cucumber before starting to eat it, like it was the most natural thing in the world.

"That's a peculiar way of eating a cucumber," the wheat-blonde stated, watching in fascination.

Burf shrugged. "So?"

Sinjin rolled his pale blue eyes. "You're so weird." With that, he licked the back of his hand and, like a cat, began grooming himself.

+++Wanko's Warehouse:

With James and the Guys

"Do you guys see her?" James asked, his neck stretching in every direction to try to catch a glimpse of the Goth beauty. "And, did you see that line? It was long!"

"I don't see her anywhere," Kendall said, frowning softly. "And, yeah, that line was ridiculous. Thank God we just walked inside the store. I didn't feel like standing around for hours."

A frustrated Logan came into view, his fingers frantically tapping at the screen of his touch-screen phone, which also had Internet access. "I don't understand," he practically cried out, "Why didn't I know that the sale didn't start till seven in the morning? Why?!"

"Maybe Jade went home?" Carlos helpfully suggested. "I wouldn't think she would be the patient type."

James immediately shook his head, disagreeing. "If I know anything about Jade, I bet she'll come up with some kind of plan that will benefit her."

He sounded so confident, Kendall had to ask his friend, "Your plan?"

"Just before Wanko's closes at nine, we hide inside the store. Then, after they close, we'll have the whole place to ourselves, which means we can search for Jade and her friends. While we're at it, we can look around for stuff we wanna buy and have some fun."

Kendall brightened at the idea. "Then, when the store opens tomorrow morning, we'll be the first ones here." To be honest, this would be one of their saner ideas.

Quite proud of himself, James nodded. It was just too bad Jade wasn't around to hear his genius plan. "Yup."

"Wait," Logan said, frowning, "Isn't that the same as breaking in?"

"We're already inside," Kendall pointed out, smiling in amusement.

Carlos nodded in understanding. "That's some legit logic right there."

+++Wanko's Warehouse:

After Nine

When the coast was clear, Jade slapped the bin's lid open; the signal for everyone else to come out of their hiding places. Next to her, Beck did the same and climbed out as gracefully as he could, which wasn't saying much but salsa lessons helped keep his footing.

Beck gave his ex a small smile, offering her a hand to assist her out. She took it, and electricity seemed to pass through their hands and through their systems.

Yup, despite their broken up status, they still had amazing chemistry. That had never been the issue between them, however, and they gazed into each other's eyes for a second before Beck pulled her completely out of the blue bin.

"Thanks," she softly muttered, her ice-blue eyes looking anywhere but at him.

Beck shoved his hands into his pockets, trying to appear casual. "Yeah, no problem."

The two made their way closer to the rest of the gang, like nothing had just transpired between them, but both would be lying if they said nothing happened. They'd had a moment; a short one, yes, but a moment nonetheless.

"Okay, so who's ready for an all-nighter at Wanko's?" Tori asked cheerfully.

"Yeah!" everyone cheered back, all smiling.

Robbie couldn't help his exclamation of, "Wanko's!"

Trina gave Jade a surprised, semi-incredulous look. "I'm surprised Jade's plan even worked," she commented, flipping her hair over a shoulder. "Then again, we're talking about illegal acts and I'm sure she's used to committing them."

Jade smirked at the older Vega as everyone glanced between the two with worry. "Yeah, and I'm about to commit another one right now if you don't shut your trap," she sweetly stated.

Gasping in outrage, the Latina walked away to stand several feet from the Goth.

Tori broke the tension by throwing a fist in the air. "Let's just start walking around," she exclaimed, not wanting any blood to be spilt, especially when she knew it would come from Trina. "Guys, we have this entire store to ourselves. Let's not waste this opportunity!"

Agreeing, the gang began walking but all froze when red beams appeared in horizontal lines, blocking their path further into the store.

"What are those laser beams for?" Andre asked curiously, though there was a small pinch of panic underlining his tone.

Robbie fixed his glasses and peered closely at said red laser beams. "They're part of the security system. If we break one of these beams, an alarm is gonna go off."

"And then, we'll have cops," Beck finished, frowning. He turned to give Jade a slight glare. "Well, now what?"

Jade only glared back, arms crossed under her breasts while she thought. Not wanting to keep looking at the Canadian-born male, she turned her attention onto the lasers. "Hey, the bottom is pretty far off the ground," she pointed out.

"Yeah, you're right," Tori acknowledged. Crouching, she began fiddling with something on her phone, using her free hand from time-to-time.

"What are you doing?" Beck curiously asked, not seeing how that will solve anything.

The Latina answered, "I'm measuring to see how high this beam is from the ground."

In a smug voice, Jade answered, "Eight inches."

Beck threw an exasperated look her way, which she smirked at. "Let her measure it, please," he replied with some attitude Jade found amusing. Turning back to his friend, he asked, "Well?"

"Eight inches," Tori sheepishly answered, getting to her feet once more.

The Goth raised a mocking brow at her ex, enjoying the sheepish smile he sent her way as a silent apology for doubting her.

Wanting a change in subject for now, Beck asked no one in particular, "So, how much time till the store opens?"

Robbie checked the time, his free hand holding a walkie talkie he found to be the bee's knees. "It's ten-fifteen right now and it opens at seven, so ten point twenty-five divided by seven, blah, blah, blah, carry the two-"

Impatient, Andre cut him off, "About nine hours!"

Everyone groaned at the news. They had to come up with some kind of plan- they refused to be stuck there the rest of the night!

+++Wanko's Warehouse:

With James and the Guys

Carlos suddenly stopped walking, causing the rest of his friends to stop and stare as they waited to see what he was doing, James a little more impatient than Kendall and Logan.

"Hey, do you guys hear people talking?" the helmet-wearing teen asked.

James, Kendall, and Logan listened carefully, neither boy wanting to be caught still in the store after hours. Sure, they were Big Time Rush, but there was a limit to their fame. Besides, they didn't want to imagine what Gustavo would do to them, let alone Mama Knight, if they found out.

Logan cocked his head to the side, like a dog listening for their master to give an order. "Sounds like Jade's voice, as well as her friends, maybe?"

"We should check it out," Kendall stated, "Just in case it is her."

Eagerly, James led the way, his mind focused on one thing- finding Jade and spending time with her. He could always use the excuse that they needed to work on their duet; he'd come up with some ideas for lyrics, too. She would be so proud of him!

Within a couple of minutes, the four best friends found the owners to the voices. It was, indeed, Jade and her friends, all trapped behind a wall of laser beams. It looked like they were arguing about how to escape.

"Jadey!" Carlos called out, causing his three friends to wince at the sheer volume he'd used.

But, it did the trick. Jade instantly turned in their direction with a confused furrow to her brows, and all conversation stopped within their group.

Jade's expression cleared and she stared curiously at the four she'd come to know in the past few days. "Carlos? Kendall, James, Logan? What the chizz are you guys doing here?"

James was a little put out that she said Kendall's name before his own, but didn't let it bother him for long. He grinned charmingly at her, his hand reaching up to flip his hair just-so.

"I was curious about this whole 'Wanko's' thing since you mentioned it, so the guys and I researched it. We found out about the big sale going on, so decided to check it out."

"Then, you found out it was actually at seven in the morning, right?" Andre said dryly. "So, you hid inside, like us, to be the first in line for tomorrow."

In a highly defensive tone, James said, "I only did what I figured Jade would do. She's resourceful like that. Besides," he added, smiling once more at said Goth, "I figured this would be the perfect time to work more on our duet. I came up with some great ideas I wanna run by you."

"What are you talking about?" Trina demanded to know, cutting a glare Jade's way, "Why would you want to sing a duet with her when you have me right here?" In a flirty manner, she fluttered her lashes at James, the pretty boy of Big Time Rush and Trina's future husband.

Nervously, Cat chewed on her hair before spitting it out when it refused to taste like red velvet cupcakes. "Jadey got a record contract with the same label as them," she softly answered, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "She even moved into the Palm Woods."

"Cat," Jade groaned, not having wanted all of that to be revealed so soon.

Innocently, the redhead replied, "Whaty?"

"I didn't know about this," Tori exclaimed in shock. Nervously, her chocolate gaze travelled until she could see Beck's reaction to the news. Don't get her wrong, everyone knew about Jade's record deal, seeing as how Gustavo had announced it during the Kickback, but Jade moving into the Palm Woods was new.

Jade rolled her eyes, exasperated with everyone. "We don't have time for this," she snapped out. Walking closer to the laser beams, she gave the members of BTR a look. "Do you guys have a plan on how to get us out of here?"

Logan instantly looked down at the tiled floor. "How far apart is the last beam from the ground?" he asked. Jade was right; he and the guys had to come up with something. Jade and her friends would be stuck there the whole night, otherwise. They had to get their priorities straight.

"Eight inches," she answered promptly.

James gave his brainy friend a curious glance. "Do you have a plan, Logan?"

"Well, it's quite simple, really," he answered, smiling, "I just need to find the main controls for the alarm system. However, the only problem is, I may need some help, considering I've never been here before, in order to find the right office."

Kendall gave Jade an amused smirk. "Alright, so which one of you is the flattest?" he asked.

"Jade's out," James immediately answered, not even bothering to think about what he was saying.

Cat gasped, a hand slapping over her mouth in horror. Her sweet, chocolate colored eyes were wide as she stared at the tall brunette like she'd never seen him before.

Beck clenched his fist inside his pocket, matching the gritted teeth he'd had since James had made his appearance and started talking to Jade.

No, he still refused to believe he was jealous because Beck Oliver had no such emotion in his body! He was simply worried that Jade might hook up with a player and get hurt in the process- that was all…

Right?

From the corner of his eye, James saw Carlos gaping at him with wide eyes. Turning to look at his short, Latino friend, James asked, "What? What's wrong?"

Kendall snickered, which brought James's attention onto him instead. "We never knew you were such a pervert, James," he chuckled, slapping the other boy on the shoulder.

James blinked, still obviously confused. "What are you talking about?" he asked in a bewildered tone.

Tori coughed, which brought his attention onto her next. Her tanned cheeks were flushed in embarrassment, seeing as how she had to explain his own comment, but she was a nice girl and would do what she had to.

"When your friend asked who the flattest was, you immediately counted Jade out." She hoped the way she'd meaningfully said that would help.

James blinked again, brows furrowing. "Well, yeah, because she's far from being flat. She's actually very curv- Oh… Oh God." His cheeks heated unbearably and he closed his eyes in sheer shame over what he'd unintentionally admitted out loud. "Oh God."

Her own cheeks pink, Jade tried to hide her embarrassment over the situation by snapping at Robbie, "You're the flattest, so get onto your back. We're gonna slide you under the beams so you can help Logan find the alarm system."

"Why me?" the curly haired teen whined. With a pout, he held up his walkie talkie. "I want to play with this!"

Logan got as close as he could to the laser beams, eyes sparkling as it locked on the hand-held device. "Whoa, is that what I think it is?!" he exclaimed, practically hopping where he stood.

Robbie, excited about finally being able to speak to a fellow electronics nerd, stood in front of Logan and both boys started geeking out.

Jade rolled her eyes, exasperated and annoyed. "Oh God, we're gonna be here all night." Two seconds later, she snapped loudly, "Hey! Robbie, get on your back now and we'll slide you under so you can continue your pointless discussion while you free us."

"Right-Oh, Jade," Robbie eagerly complied, giving her a mock-salute. Carefully, he handed Logan the walkie talkie before getting onto his back. With the help of Beck and Andre, he was able to slide under the beams far enough for James and Carlos to pull him out the rest of the way.

Standing once more, Robbie commented as he and Logan left the two groups, "Okay, so the security panel should be towards the front of the store. We should go this way…"

When the two were out of view, Andre announced, "We're doomed."

Tori gave her friend a confused look. "Why would you say that?"

"That's the direction the electronics are."

+++Wanko's Warehouse:

A Few Minutes Later

"I gotta take a wazz," Trina loudly proclaimed, which caught everyone's' attention.

Jade, who was leaning against the nearest shelf by James, rolled her eyes. "Go take a wazz," she said back, irritated.

"Wazz where?" was the smart-aleck response.

"Just grab a bin!"

Trina huffed, hands placed on her hips, "Oh, Trina Vega does not wazz in bins."

In a too-innocent voice, Tori stated, "At that movie you took a wazz in a popcorn bucket."

James and Kendall, who were listening to the conversation, wrinkled their noses in disgust. It must have been some movie if the girl hadn't wanted to leave to relieve herself.

Again, Trina huffed indignantly, "A bucket is not a bin!"

"Oh God, where are Logan and Robbie?" Jade muttered, rolling her eyes heavenward. They better not be nerding out over something stupid, she thought.

+++Wanko's Warehouse:

With Logan and Robbie

"Oh, look what they have!" Logan exclaimed to his new friend, pointing at something on the shelf that had caught his attention. "And, look at that price! Oh man, tomorrow's sale is going to drop the cost even more."

He felt like a kid at Christmas, and he knew he had Jade to thank for that. The Goth had obviously paired them up for finding the security panel because she knew they would be the most tech-savvy; the girl was so smart!

Now, Logan had found a new friend in Robbie Shapiro. His other friends, while amazing in their own way, didn't understand the way his brain worked sometimes, but the curly haired teen did. Logan had a friend he could be a total nerd around!

Robbie gasped in awe. "Is that-?" he couldn't even finish his question, his shock so great.

"It is!"

After a few more minutes of admiring the piece of tech equipment, Logan suddenly paused, a thought occurring to him.

"Hey, weren't we doing something important?"

Robbie reluctantly tore his eyes away from a software program he'd been looking for to look at the other teen. He shrugged. "I don't know. Were we?"

They continued to stare at each other for a couple more seconds before they shrugged the matter off at the same time.

"Oh well, I'm sure if were that important, it'll come back," Logan said, cheerfully going back to his search of tech stuff.

"Yeah, you're right," Robbie agreed, smiling.

+++Wanko's Warehouse:

With Kendall (and Cat)

The way Cat was staring at the laser beam was beginning to trouble Kendall. Sure, he'd met her very briefly at the Kickback, and everyone had a chance of conversing while they waited for Robbie and Logan, but the short redhead had a way of reminding him strongly of Carlos, and when Carlos looked at something like Cat was the laser beam…

Cat pursed her lips before sticking her tongue out, her intention to lick the beam very clear.

Panicking, Kendall exclaimed, "Stop! What are you doing?!"

Everyone seemed to pause what they were doing to glance in their direction.

Cat gave a girlish giggle, hand coming up to play with the ends of her hair. "I wanted to lick the laser beam with my tongue," she answered, like it was more than obvious.

"Why?" the tall blonde asked, incredulous. He paused, then answered rhetorically, "You wanna know what flavor it is, right?"

She released an airy laugh that definitely reminded him of Carlos when he was being his innocent, semi-naïve self. The nod she gave as an answer only reinforced the comparison.

Kendall sighed. "What is taking Logan and Robbie so long?" he wondered out loud, mostly talking to himself.

+++Wanko's Warehouse:

With Logan and Robbie

Having finally remembered about their friends, the two boys got back on track to the control panel that meant freedom for everyone else.

"Okay, so we just need to find the security system that operates the alarms," Robbie pointed out, although he knew Logan didn't need the instructions. It just helped Robbie to focus before he got distracted again. "From there, we just gotta access the Preferences-section, then Bingo, instant freedom."

Logan rubbed his hands eagerly together, gaze wandering around. "Excellent. Let's get to work, shall we?"

+++Wanko's Warehouse:

With Carlos and Jade

Carlos was rambling about his and BTR's hiding places, which were bins, too, ironically. However, their bins hadn't been nearly as roomy as Jade's and her friends', so the Goth found Carlos's situation a lot more funny.

However, talking about bins just reminded her about that spark she'd felt when she'd grabbed Beck's hand. She knew he'd felt it, too; no one would be dense enough to mistake that, especially when it came to them.

Did that mean she wasn't completely over Beck, like she'd first thought? Jade had been so sure…

The Gothic teen was snapped from her thoughts when Carlos commented, "It was like there was no air, Jadey. How can you breathe with no air, huh? It was pretty frightening, but James kept telling me to stop complaining; that we would get to see you sooner if I stayed quiet, so I did!"

Jade held up a hand to stop his constant chatter. "Hold on," she said, taking out her phone to make some notes. "Your dumb rambling just gave me a great idea for a song."

Carlos pouted, not taking her harsh words to heart. "My rambling isn't dumb," he whined, but perked up when the rest of her sentence registered. "Does this mean I helped? I love helping people!"

"Yeah, I don't care," she replied. Turning, she marched over to where James stood, talking with Kendall, Andre, and Beck. "Hey, pretty boy. Carlos gave me an idea for a song."

James instantly flashed a charming smile. Did the boy never have that expression on his face? He's lucky he's good-looking, Jade thought with a mental eye roll.

"You think I'm pretty?" he eagerly asked, ignoring what she'd said in favor of receiving a compliment from Jade.

Waving off his question as unimportant, she said, "I don't like repeating myself," and crossed her arms under her breasts to glare at the tall brunette.

Kendall snickered but humored Jade before she decided to shave his friend bald. "You mentioned a song Carlos gave you an idea for?"

She gifted him with a smile that he returned easily. "I knew I liked you for a reason," she stated, knowing James would throw a fit over that little comment.

Right on cue, James huffed out, "Hey! I'm standing right here!"

Beck cut in, his lips twisting in a parody of a smile. "Can we hear what you have so far?" Besides their conversations, he missed hearing her sing every day. Jade used to always sing in his RV when she went over after school, but she hadn't been by ever since they broke up. Hearing only her performances weren't enough.

Jade gave a small smile at her ex, clearing her throat. Glancing at the fast notes she'd typed, she sang what she had so far.

Jade:

"Tell me how I'm supposed to breathe with no air
Can't live, can't breathe with no air

It's how I feel whenever you ain't there
It's no air, no air"

After she finished the few lyrics she'd written, she gave the guys questioning looks. "It's rough right now, but it'll be the song we're singing. I just need some music behind the words."

Shrugging, she walked off to talk to Cat. Like any true actress/singer, she stood by what she created, like performing the Bird Scene all over again. Jade was one of the few who'd done it in one try and it was because she was confident in her ability. She wouldn't start doubting herself now.

James gaped after the Gothic beauty, stunned she'd come up with some great lyrics from a mere conversation with someone. He'd known she would be amazing, but this took the cake!

Kendall patted him on the shoulder, thus turning his attention onto the blonde. "Dude, just some friendly advice, but you should snatch her up before someone else does."

James's gaze immediately went to Jade's ex, Beck. His eyes narrowed when he noticed that the Canadian-born teen had followed Jade and was now conversing with her, no doubt commenting on her great song. That should be him!

Scowling, the brunette had no choice but to concede this round to Beck in winning Jade's affections. However, James still had a trump card:

He and Jade will get to sing a duet together.

+++Wanko's Warehouse:

Nearly an Hour since Logan and Robbie Left

Having not succeeded in stealing James away from Jade, Trina resorted to ignoring the two and began complaining about how hungry she was. For the most part, she went ignored until:

"Someone, just get me a sandwich," she fairly yelled out in frustration.

Cat instantly hopped to her feet, giggling, "Kay, kay!" Quickly, her feet made its way towards the laser beams, and everyone protested as they realized what was about to happen.

"Cat! NO!"

Right when Cat would have set the alarms off, the red lasers disappeared, and her friends breathed a sigh of relief. They wouldn't be going to jail today!

"Oh, thank God," Tori breathed out, hand clutching the area above her heart.

Jade instantly stomped out of the aisle she'd been trapped in, her eyes flashing in anger. "I'm gonna find Logan and Robbie and kill them for taking so long."

Before James (or Kendall, for that matter) could stop her, Beck grasped her wrist gently and easily steered her in a different direction.

"Let's go look in the Arts & Crafts section, instead, Jade."

Jade scowled at her ex but allowed to be pulled along. "Don't tell me what to do, Oliver," she snapped.

Beck chuckled in amusement, knowing her bark was worse than her bite. "Right, right. But, don't you wanna check out their scissor collection? I bet it's bigger than the one you have."

Her voice started to fade, and James couldn't do anything but stand there stupidly as the girl of his dreams walked off with another boy. "I highly doubt that. No one loves scissors more than I do. Are you trying to insult me?"

Kendall patted James on the shoulder comfortingly. "Cheer up, man. He can't have all her attention the whole night."

James nodded in agreement, his hazel eyes sparking with determination to win Jade for himself. He would not lose!

+++Wanko's Warehouse:

Eight that Morning

As Kendall had assured, James had stolen Jade's attention away from Beck the last half of their all-nighter inside the huge store. While Beck hadn't been pleased, he also didn't argue so had gone in search of Andre and, maybe, Robbie if he wasn't hanging out with Logan.

Needless to say, James had been on cloud-nine. Since Jade was in a good mood after finding some scissors she liked, she was more open about her feelings and smiled more easily. Kendall made sure to keep Carlos occupied and Logan wasn't an issue, and James couldn't be more grateful to his friends than in that moment.

He finally got his private time with Jade. They talked about a lot of things, sharing funny or memorable stories that had them holding their sides from the force of their laughing. They also managed to finish Jade's song, both pleased with how it turned out. James, especially, was happy that it came out sounding like a love song; he was positively giddy to have it recorded.

Now, he and BTR, as well as Jade and her group friends, were making their way out of the store. Everyone had, at least, two bags filled with new merchandise that the sale made possible. Sure, it had been tricky to find hiding spots for all of them, but they'd accomplished the impossible before. This time was no different.

James walked with Jade to Andre's van. "So, I'll text you later about recording the song?" he asked, trying not to sound too hopeful. Although he was dead tired from the all-nighter, he didn't want his time with Jade to go to waste so quickly.

Jade placed her bags inside before turning a smile onto the tall brunette. "Yeah, sure," she answered. "But, let's schedule the studio time for tomorrow. For now, let's just practice a couple more times before recording. That fine with you?"

He grinned charmingly. "Of course. I'll see you back at the Palm Woods later today, then. You sure you don't want a ride back with me and the guys? We do live in the same building, after all."

"Nah, I'm being dropped off at Cat's, where my car is. She asked me to hang out with her today after we catch some sleep." Jade waved, climbing into the van and taking a seat next to Beck, James noted with an inward scowl. "Bye. Tell the guys I'll see them later."

James nodded, sliding the van's door closed for Jade. With a wave, he watched Andre pull out of the parking stall before driving off.

+++Rocque Records:

Two Days Later

"Dog. Jade, you both ready to record?" Gustavo asked, his fingers fiddling with some dials on the soundboard. After hearing James rave on and on about their duet, the producer made it his business of being the one to record them.

Standing in the semi-crowded recording box, Jade adjusted the ear phones covering her ears as James did the same. She sent Gustavo, who was surrounded by the rest of BTR and Kelly, whom she finally got to meet formally, a thumbs-up signal.

Music began to pour into their ears, both starting to sway slightly to the beat.

No Air:

"Tell me how I'm supposed to breathe with no air

If I should die before I wake
It's 'cause you took my breath away
Losing you is like living in a world with no air
Oh"

James:

"I'm here alone, didn't wanna leave
My heart won't move, it's incomplete
Wish there was a way that I can make you understand"

Gustavo grinned, happy about how good James and Jade sounded. If the rates he could see adding up in his head were any indication, he saw the next star duo, if not next power couple. They sounded perfect!

Jade:

"But how do you expect me
to live alone with just me
'Cause my world revolves around you
It's so hard for me to breathe"

Both:

"Tell me how I'm supposed to breathe with no air
Can't live, can't breathe with no air
It's how I feel whenever you ain't there
It's no air, no air
Got me out here in the water so deep
Tell me how you gonna be without me
If you ain't here, I just can't breathe
It's no air, no air

No air, air
No air, air
No air, air
No air, air"

Jade cast James a glance, still surprised about how well their voices meshed together, but not complaining. She wanted her CD debut to be great; just like how this song sounded. Of course, she'd never tell James that. The boy's ego was already big enough, thank you very much.

James:

"I walked, I ran, I jumped, I flew
Right off the ground to float to you
There's no gravity to hold me down for real"

Jade:

"But somehow I'm still alive inside
You took my breath, but I survived
I don't know how, but I don't even care"

Both:

"So how do you expect me
to live alone with just me
'Cause my world revolves around you
It's so hard for me to breathe"

James caught Jade's eye as they continued to sing, smiling at her in a charming way as usual, but she couldn't help but notice that there was something different in his gaze… Something she couldn't name, at least not right away. It was softer, somehow; more… Loving?

Was that the right word? How did that specific emotion get aimed in her direction, anyway?

Jade didn't have any answers to those difficult questions, but she did know butterflies had suddenly made their appearance known in her stomach; possibly her heart, too.

Both:

"Tell me how I'm supposed to breathe with no air
Can't live, can't breathe with no air
It's how I feel whenever you ain't there
It's no air, no air
Got me out here in the water so deep
Tell me how you gonna be without me
If you ain't here, I just can't breathe
It's no air, no air

No air, air
No air, air
No air, air
No air, air
No more
It's no air, no air"

Her heart was pounding so loudly. Oh no, don't tell her it was Beck all over again…

Both:

"Tell me how I'm supposed to breathe with no air
Can't live, can't breathe with no air
It's how I feel whenever you ain't there
It's no air, no air

No air, air
No air, air
No air, air
No air, air

Tell me how I'm supposed to breathe with no air
Can't live, can't breathe with no air
It's how I feel whenever you ain't there
It's no air, no air

Got me out here in the water so deep
Tell me how you gonna be without me
If you ain't here, I just can't breathe
It's no air, no air

No air, air
No air, air
No air, air
No air"

Please, don't tell her she was falling in love again. Not so soon… Not right now. Jade wasn't ready…

Or was she?

+++The End+++

Until next time!

~Thank you so much for reading this chapter! Review; it would be much appreciated!~

PS: This was the longest chapter so far- I'm proud of myself :D

Also, follow me on Twitter at azn_m for updates/new story ideas or just random thoughts that I find enjoyable and wish to share :3

Check out my profile for update information, and if you're an Austin & Ally fan, please check out my other story, "Doe Eyes & Puppy-Dog Pouts"! Thanks, everyone!