A/N Basically, this will be a collection of little one-shots that I feel are too short to stand on their own, but also think are good enough to be read. Chapters will be added as they come to me, so I don't know how many there will be in the end.

I just love Shader and Fiore.

I hope everyone enjoys these!

xXxXx

Shader lived in a small apartment. It was in one of the poorer neighborhoods of Chicago, but she was just fine with that. She moved every couple of years anyway. Fiore was happy to see that it was clean at least. She was horrified, however, to find that her friend had survived the past seventy-five years on take-out and canned food. It was a habit she was quickly putting a stop to.

It had become routine for them, in the time since they had found one another. Fiore happily worked at the tiny stove, ignoring her friend as she hovered around her.

"Oh, what are we having tonight? It smells so good...I'm so glad you're here, Fiore...Florette...uh..."the cat paused, her eyes flattening in annoyance as she tried to decide which name the doll would prefer. After a moment she shrugged it off, wrapping her arms around the other woman's middle. "You're the best!"

Fiore endured it patiently, just as she always had. Shader was always a little crazy, and she seemed to enjoy throwing random hugs at people she liked. She supposed that must have been why the Apostles were always at ease with the cat. She was so annoyingly friendly.

But a friend she was.

Fiore didn't take long in her cooking, as it was a small meal and she worked quickly. Very soon the two of them were seated at the apartment's tiny table, quietly eating. Shader was sucking at her spoon, humming happily to herself. Letting her own spoon drop quietly to her plate, the doll stared at her, waiting for the cat's attention. Several minutes passed by without either of them speaking.

"Master Shader?" Fiore asked, breaking the silence. The cat opened one eyes, giving her friend a stern look.

"Stop that, Fiore."

"...Shader..." Fiore corrected her address. It made her feel very forward, but she had wanted to ask since she had begun living there. She needed to know. "Shader, did everyone...back then..."

"No." the cat dropped her eyes, a shadow passing her face. "Genai...Viede...even Aion...no one's left but us, and maybe Chrno..."she caught the blank look her friend gave her. "That's right, you didn't know him, did you?"

"No." the doll's face tensed slightly, and she braced herself. "Did Joshua also...?" she couldn't bring herself to finish that sentence. For her it had not happened all that long ago, the pain was still fresh. Slowly Shader looked at her, her fingers pushing at her glasses as she though.

"He lived for a very long time after that."

"...I'm glad."

"Azmaria Hendric died not too long ago. A year maybe...the obituary was in the paper." Joshua wasn't a subject that either of them wanted to dwell on. Fiore had lowered her head, only partially listening. "I visited her a few times...she seemed glad to hear from me. She was always such a forgiving girl." Shader tilted her head, peering curiously at he woman sitting across from her. "Say, didn't you wake up in some place the Hendric's owned?"

"Satella..." Fiore looked up at her friend, staring at her with reddened eyes. "She was injured when I left...I...I shouldn't have..."

"Alright, we'll go visit her! I'm sure she'll be glad to see you're alright."

"I don't want to visit he, I just want to make sure she's alright." a small, sad smile crossed Shader's face as she nodded and went back to her food. Fiore wanted to check on her sister, with as little contact as possible. It was understandable that she wouldn't want to speak to her again.

The Harvenheit sisters had said enough goodbyes to last a lifetime.