Tori bolted awake, gasping for air. Blake was instantly awoken as his
arm was thrown aside. Her eyes spilled over with tears. But she wasn't
exactly sure why. Her breathing slowed and Blake sat up next to her.
"Hey," he said gently. "What happened? Bad dream?"
Tori slowly turned her face to him and let him hold her. "I...I don't know. I just got this really bad feeling all of a sudden. Something's not right."
Blake held her close and gently rubbed her back. "What do you think it is?"
"I don't know," she said truthfully. She carefully broke away from Blake and reached for her cell phone.
"What are you doing?"
"Calling Gram... I just have a feeling that something's wrong."
"It's like, eight in the morning," Blake said.
"I know, but she'll pick up. She always does." Tori waited until the phone had rung nearly a dozen times with no answer. "Okay, something's defiantly not right here." The look in her eyes told Blake that she was right.
"I'll get the guys and we'll head back." Tori smiled and kissed him.
"Thank you," she said gently. Blake smiled and left to gather the guys. Tori sat in the tent biting her lips. This wasn't the first time she had gotten a feeling like this. It seemed to be happening more frequently lately... it was almost as if she was sensing danger...
She gathered everything together and soon they were all driving back to Gram's house.
The sight that met Tori's eyes made her blood run cold. An ambulance and two police cars were out front. Immediately the rangers were out of the car and running after Tori who had ran into the house.
A police officer walked over to Tori and said what she had been dreading her entire life... her grandmother had passed away during the night.
The guys all entered the house and saw Tori sitting against the wall with her knees to her chest. She couldn't cry, couldn't breath, couldn't feel... her only family was gone...
Blake ran over to her and wrapped her in his arms. Another officer outside had told them what had happened.
Tori leaned into his embrace and felt tears come to her eyes. "It's okay Tor," he whispered. "We're all here for you."
At that Tori let her emotions get the better of her and she let the tears fall.
(((((())))))
"And so we ask that the Lord watch over Leslie as she joins him in the heavens." The minister finished his sermon over Leslie's grave and the attendees all began to depart.
Tori stood motionless. Her normally Blue attire was replaced by black and her eyes seemed dulled. Blake stood by her side along with the others. Everything was moving so quickly, and it all seemed like a blur to Tori.
Her grandmother had left her everything including the house and all of her possessions.
There wasn't anyone there to hold her at night as she cried, or to answer the question that was hanging in her mind- why? Why did the world have to be so cruel to her?
Her mother was taken from her when she was young, then her father, now her grandmother, and soon the love of her life.
Blake had been wonderful throughout everything. He knew all too well what she was going through. He had managed to get some extra time from Factory Blue.
Hunter, Cam, Shane, and Dustin headed over to their cars, but Blake remained with Tori as she stood, frozen.
He cautiously reached his hand out to her and touched hers. Tori's fingers instantly laced with his and she turned her head towards him.
"This is it... if I walk away now, that really means that she's not coming home," Tori said calmly. Blake walked closer to her and put his arm around her. "I just keep thinking that I'll go home and she'll be there."
Tori leaned into him and buried her face in his shoulder. He gently rubbed her back and kissed her cheek. "I know it's going to be hard at first, but I promise you... it will get better over time," he whispered to her.
She found some comfort in his words and turned back to the grave. "I love you Gram...always," she said. She turned back to Blake and together they walked back to the van.
The drive over to the house was silent, but comfortable between them. Tori was glad that she could have a piece of her grandmother with her. The house was in every sense her home, and she wasn't going to part with it.
Blake exited the van and walked slowly with Tori inside. The others were there and they spent the rest of the day sitting together, comforting each other.
Tori unknowingly fell asleep on the couch next to Dustin and Shane and the others knew she must have been exhausted.
"We all should get going," Cam said when he saw the time. Today had been a long one for all of them.
"One of us should stay here with her though," Hunter chimed in. All eyes immediately went to Blake and he sighed.
"I didn't tell her you know," Blake said as he took Shane's seat on the couch next to Tori.
"You didn't tell her you're leaving tomorrow? Are you nuts?" Dustin asked. "I thought you told her."
Blake sighed. "I couldn't tell her... not with everything she's been going through. I tried to talk to Roger, but I can't wait any longer before I have to leave."
"She's gonna go nuts," Shane said plainly.
Blake shot him daggers. "You think I want to leave her?" he spat out.
"I dunno anymore, man," Shane said as he departed. The others wore blank expressions as their leader left them.
Blake was annoyed and frustrated at the same time. He didn't know what to do, or say.
Luckily Dustin stepped in to try and break the tension in the room. "Tor's room is up the stairs, third door on the left."
"Thanks," Blake said as he stood. He said his goodbyes to the guys and soon he was walking up the stairs to place Tori in her room. He found the door and opened it, placing her on the bed.
He would stay here with her. It may be the last time he got a chance like this... to be this close to her for a very long time. He took his shoes off and lay down next to her. She looked so peaceful and beautiful in that moment. The thought of leaving her was tearing him up inside, and the fact that he hadn't told her yet was killing him.
A stray piece of hair had come out of her ponytail and he gently placed it behind her ear. At this, Tori slowly opened her eyes.
"Blake?" she asked as she sat up and looked around. "How did I get up here?"
"I carried you up. You fell asleep downstairs and I figured you'd be more comfortable up here." Tori smiled a little at him and stood.
"I, um...I wasn't asleep the whole time," she said softly with her back to him. Blake's face paled a little. "When were you going to tell me you were leaving tomorrow?"
He let out a deep breath and walked over to her carefully. "I was going to tell you tomorrow... I just didn't think I should have told you today." He placed a hand on her arm and turned her around slowly.
Tori felt her breath leave her as she looked into his emotion-filled eyes. She didn't want him to leave. Not now, not ever. But deep down she knew he had to go and pursue his dreams. She placed her arms around his middle and breathed him in. The feeling of his arms around her was more than enough to tell her how she really felt about him.
She had to tell him... right now, before she lost her nerve. "Blake," she said softly. "I... I don't want you to go tomorrow."
Blake held her closer to his body and kissed her temple. "I have to go tomorrow Tor. As much as I would like to stay here, I just need to go and see what's out there."
Tori felt tears coming over her again. She couldn't stop the words from coming from her mouth... "But... I love you."
Blake stiffened at those three little words. Images of his dreams flooded his mind and he pulled away from her with tears in his eyes. "Don't...don't say that," he said shakily.
Tori looked at him with tear filled eyes. She carefully backed away from him in a state of shock. "Wh...why not?" she stammered.
Blake felt as if his entire world was crumbling. "You just... you can't love me Tor... you just can't."
"But I do, Blake. I love you... don't you love me?"
Blake was very conflicted, but he just couldn't get his mind to focus on anything else but losing her if she said that she loved him again. He couldn't speak all of a sudden.
Tori waited for a response that didn't come. Her emotions were on overdrive and she couldn't process everything that was going on. Anger came forth and wreaked its havoc.
"Get out," she said sternly as a single tear fell.
"Tori, please... let me explain," he pleaded.
"Get out!" she cried. Blake moved towards her, but was shot backwards by a beam of blue light.
Tori pulled her hand back, shocked at what she had just done. Blake stumbled to his feet and placed his shoes on. "I'm sorry," he said as he walked out.
Tori collapsed on her bed. And she cried. She cried harder than she had ever cried before as she heard the door shut.
"Hey," he said gently. "What happened? Bad dream?"
Tori slowly turned her face to him and let him hold her. "I...I don't know. I just got this really bad feeling all of a sudden. Something's not right."
Blake held her close and gently rubbed her back. "What do you think it is?"
"I don't know," she said truthfully. She carefully broke away from Blake and reached for her cell phone.
"What are you doing?"
"Calling Gram... I just have a feeling that something's wrong."
"It's like, eight in the morning," Blake said.
"I know, but she'll pick up. She always does." Tori waited until the phone had rung nearly a dozen times with no answer. "Okay, something's defiantly not right here." The look in her eyes told Blake that she was right.
"I'll get the guys and we'll head back." Tori smiled and kissed him.
"Thank you," she said gently. Blake smiled and left to gather the guys. Tori sat in the tent biting her lips. This wasn't the first time she had gotten a feeling like this. It seemed to be happening more frequently lately... it was almost as if she was sensing danger...
She gathered everything together and soon they were all driving back to Gram's house.
The sight that met Tori's eyes made her blood run cold. An ambulance and two police cars were out front. Immediately the rangers were out of the car and running after Tori who had ran into the house.
A police officer walked over to Tori and said what she had been dreading her entire life... her grandmother had passed away during the night.
The guys all entered the house and saw Tori sitting against the wall with her knees to her chest. She couldn't cry, couldn't breath, couldn't feel... her only family was gone...
Blake ran over to her and wrapped her in his arms. Another officer outside had told them what had happened.
Tori leaned into his embrace and felt tears come to her eyes. "It's okay Tor," he whispered. "We're all here for you."
At that Tori let her emotions get the better of her and she let the tears fall.
(((((())))))
"And so we ask that the Lord watch over Leslie as she joins him in the heavens." The minister finished his sermon over Leslie's grave and the attendees all began to depart.
Tori stood motionless. Her normally Blue attire was replaced by black and her eyes seemed dulled. Blake stood by her side along with the others. Everything was moving so quickly, and it all seemed like a blur to Tori.
Her grandmother had left her everything including the house and all of her possessions.
There wasn't anyone there to hold her at night as she cried, or to answer the question that was hanging in her mind- why? Why did the world have to be so cruel to her?
Her mother was taken from her when she was young, then her father, now her grandmother, and soon the love of her life.
Blake had been wonderful throughout everything. He knew all too well what she was going through. He had managed to get some extra time from Factory Blue.
Hunter, Cam, Shane, and Dustin headed over to their cars, but Blake remained with Tori as she stood, frozen.
He cautiously reached his hand out to her and touched hers. Tori's fingers instantly laced with his and she turned her head towards him.
"This is it... if I walk away now, that really means that she's not coming home," Tori said calmly. Blake walked closer to her and put his arm around her. "I just keep thinking that I'll go home and she'll be there."
Tori leaned into him and buried her face in his shoulder. He gently rubbed her back and kissed her cheek. "I know it's going to be hard at first, but I promise you... it will get better over time," he whispered to her.
She found some comfort in his words and turned back to the grave. "I love you Gram...always," she said. She turned back to Blake and together they walked back to the van.
The drive over to the house was silent, but comfortable between them. Tori was glad that she could have a piece of her grandmother with her. The house was in every sense her home, and she wasn't going to part with it.
Blake exited the van and walked slowly with Tori inside. The others were there and they spent the rest of the day sitting together, comforting each other.
Tori unknowingly fell asleep on the couch next to Dustin and Shane and the others knew she must have been exhausted.
"We all should get going," Cam said when he saw the time. Today had been a long one for all of them.
"One of us should stay here with her though," Hunter chimed in. All eyes immediately went to Blake and he sighed.
"I didn't tell her you know," Blake said as he took Shane's seat on the couch next to Tori.
"You didn't tell her you're leaving tomorrow? Are you nuts?" Dustin asked. "I thought you told her."
Blake sighed. "I couldn't tell her... not with everything she's been going through. I tried to talk to Roger, but I can't wait any longer before I have to leave."
"She's gonna go nuts," Shane said plainly.
Blake shot him daggers. "You think I want to leave her?" he spat out.
"I dunno anymore, man," Shane said as he departed. The others wore blank expressions as their leader left them.
Blake was annoyed and frustrated at the same time. He didn't know what to do, or say.
Luckily Dustin stepped in to try and break the tension in the room. "Tor's room is up the stairs, third door on the left."
"Thanks," Blake said as he stood. He said his goodbyes to the guys and soon he was walking up the stairs to place Tori in her room. He found the door and opened it, placing her on the bed.
He would stay here with her. It may be the last time he got a chance like this... to be this close to her for a very long time. He took his shoes off and lay down next to her. She looked so peaceful and beautiful in that moment. The thought of leaving her was tearing him up inside, and the fact that he hadn't told her yet was killing him.
A stray piece of hair had come out of her ponytail and he gently placed it behind her ear. At this, Tori slowly opened her eyes.
"Blake?" she asked as she sat up and looked around. "How did I get up here?"
"I carried you up. You fell asleep downstairs and I figured you'd be more comfortable up here." Tori smiled a little at him and stood.
"I, um...I wasn't asleep the whole time," she said softly with her back to him. Blake's face paled a little. "When were you going to tell me you were leaving tomorrow?"
He let out a deep breath and walked over to her carefully. "I was going to tell you tomorrow... I just didn't think I should have told you today." He placed a hand on her arm and turned her around slowly.
Tori felt her breath leave her as she looked into his emotion-filled eyes. She didn't want him to leave. Not now, not ever. But deep down she knew he had to go and pursue his dreams. She placed her arms around his middle and breathed him in. The feeling of his arms around her was more than enough to tell her how she really felt about him.
She had to tell him... right now, before she lost her nerve. "Blake," she said softly. "I... I don't want you to go tomorrow."
Blake held her closer to his body and kissed her temple. "I have to go tomorrow Tor. As much as I would like to stay here, I just need to go and see what's out there."
Tori felt tears coming over her again. She couldn't stop the words from coming from her mouth... "But... I love you."
Blake stiffened at those three little words. Images of his dreams flooded his mind and he pulled away from her with tears in his eyes. "Don't...don't say that," he said shakily.
Tori looked at him with tear filled eyes. She carefully backed away from him in a state of shock. "Wh...why not?" she stammered.
Blake felt as if his entire world was crumbling. "You just... you can't love me Tor... you just can't."
"But I do, Blake. I love you... don't you love me?"
Blake was very conflicted, but he just couldn't get his mind to focus on anything else but losing her if she said that she loved him again. He couldn't speak all of a sudden.
Tori waited for a response that didn't come. Her emotions were on overdrive and she couldn't process everything that was going on. Anger came forth and wreaked its havoc.
"Get out," she said sternly as a single tear fell.
"Tori, please... let me explain," he pleaded.
"Get out!" she cried. Blake moved towards her, but was shot backwards by a beam of blue light.
Tori pulled her hand back, shocked at what she had just done. Blake stumbled to his feet and placed his shoes on. "I'm sorry," he said as he walked out.
Tori collapsed on her bed. And she cried. She cried harder than she had ever cried before as she heard the door shut.
