A/N: Hi Sandy!!! :)

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Three Months Later ….

"They're releasing him?" Her blue eyes widen. She stares at me like a deer caught in headlights.

"Yep. Tomorrow. Hunter's thrilled." I talk to my blonde, freckled angel while sipping orange juice from a straw. Here we sit, on our couch, on our scheduled day off. Thursday.

"Well, I'm sure he's happy..but…oh man… should we get a restraining order?" Tori's eyes are like laser beams burning through me. She isn't serious, is she?

"What? No … No… come on, lets give him a chance. Everyone deserves another chance." I touch her shoulder.

Her nostrils flare, not seeming too convinced. "Yeah, but this is like his 4th! One too many!!" She barks.

"Dude, you're being a little messed up here." I squeeze her shoulder.

"C'mon, now! This guy is clearly crazy! You can't just automatically trust someone who tried to kill you!" Tori protests.

"This guy is also our friend. Maybe now you can forgive him. 'Cuz I don't fully forgive what he did, but I'm trying. I mean, he wanted to get help. He was locked up for like 4 months. The least we can do is just give him a chance. If not for Blake…or for ourselves… then for Hunter. He's taking all of this pretty rough. The last thing Hunter needs is for everyone to just diss Blake." I say as Tori puts her hand on my leg. She sighs and smiles at me.

"Yeah..you're right." She pauses, looking around the room, "I'll do it. I'll give him a chance. For you."

"God you are so awesome." I shake my head in total disbelief that this hottie in front of me is my girlfriend.

"Awe! So sweet, my bumcake!" Tori leans over and kisses me. I can't help but slip my tongue in her mouth. Now we're heavily making out on the couch. Tori starts to rub her hand over my crotch… oh boy… here we go again..

"Woah!!" Tori yells, as she jumps up, startled by my loud vibrating cell phone.

"Why does my phone always scare you?" I laugh, answering my phone, "Hello."

"Dude!!!" Shane yells on the other end.

"Shane? Dude, whats up??" I blurt. Shane, my buddy. I miss him like hell.

"Bro… I got some news." Shane doesn't sound too excited. I'm not liking this.

"What is it?" I nervously ask.

"I kinda had a little accident."

"What?? What happened?" I try not to freak out.

Tori's face grows with concern, "Whats going on?" She asks.

"Well… me and my skate buddies got a little too carried away and uh…. Well.. I kinda got real wasted and thought I was Spiderman. And uh…. Let's just say I'm lucky I'm a Ninja." Shane attempts to explain.

"Dude.. what happened?" I blurt.

"I fell out of our hotel window and kinda sorta broke some bones." Shane sighs, "So, I'm coming home. But not on a good note. A painful note."

"Are you crazy?? Dude, you could've killed yourself!" I scold my red friend.

"What's going on?" Tori screams.

"Shane broke-" I pause. "Well… what's broken??" I ask.

"My left leg. A couple of my ribs..no huge deal." Shane shamefully says.

"No huge deal? Dude! You gotta be careful! You know how crazy things get when you get wasted!!" I yell.

"Yeah.. I know.. well, I'm coming home ok.." Shane says, almost as if he's asking.

"Yes! Please do! So I can babysit your ass!"

"Ha! Dude, you're insane!!" Shane laughs.

"No.. I'm really not.. but on the subject of 'crazy', Blake is coming home tomorrow." I spill the news. Good news on top of good news, don't you love it?

"Woah.. bro.. that's uh…. That's hardcore, man.. how's that gonna fly?" Shane sighs.

"I don't know." I pause, "Look, when will you be here?"

"Well, I'm catching a flight first thing tomorrow. I'm coming from D.C. So…Uh… I dunno…Noon-ish , I guess.." Shane sounds kinda like I did on those painkillers.

"Dude, are you doped up?" I ask.

"You know it.." Shane smiles.

"Well, anyway, I'll pick you up. Call me as soon as you land." I say.

"Dude, I can take a cab. No worries." Shane suggests.

"No. Call me when you land. I'm bad with airports." I say firmly.

"Ok then, bro. Give Tor my love." Shane says.

"You know I will dude. I'll see ya tomorrow." I sigh.

"Okay, brother."

"Peace."

"Later."

-click-

"Well…" Tori's face is red. She looks confused and scared.

"He fell and broke some bones. He'll be fine. He's coming tomorrow." I reassure.

"Oh my God! Talk about perfect timing! First Blake, now this.." Tori pushes her hair from her face, "well, at least we know Shane will be safe with us."

"Definitely." I look at Tori, "Don't worry. You worry too much."

Tori warmly smiles. She grabs my hand in hers, "I know.. I've been a little on edge lately.. my nerves are shot.."

"I've noticed." I laugh, "C'mon lets go to bed."

"Are you serious? Its like 2 in the afternoon!" Tori laughs.

"yeah… and… your point?" I smirk. Tori grabs my hands and pulls me off the couch. She hugs me tight and leads me into our bedroom.

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"Blake wants to see her." Hunters voice cracks on the other end. Well, I almost never would have guessed that one.. I'm kidding…

"Ok" What else can I say. After all, its not up to me, its up to Tori.

"Well.." Hunter sighs, "I mean, is she over it yet?"

"Over it? Dude, she's a little tramatized. I mean, it's not everyday your friends goes psycho and-" I pause.. "Oh… sorry… look nevermind. You know..c'mon dude.. she's a little more sensitive than we thought, huh.."

"Look, I know my brother hasn't exactly been awarded the ' Greatest Guy Of The Year' medal.. and I'm not expecting anyone, especially you, to act like its nothing and completely forgive him right away. But.. dude… I mean… it's also not fair to label him for the past. Is he only gonna ever be know as the psycho friend who went crazy and snapped? Maybe I'm just being biased 'cuz I'm his brother, but… don't you think its only fair to give him another chance at life? Making all of this shit better? We've been through so much together. All of us.." The crimson blonde is right. On both parts. Yes, Blake deserves another chance to make things right. And yes, Hunter is biased because this guy we're talking about is his brother. All he has left of any piece of 'family'. Well, aside from his extended fam. Meaning me, Shane , Tori, Cam and sensei.

"Dude, I can't speak for Tori. And I can't make her see him if she doesn't want to." I say. And its not like we haven't went over this a thousand times already.

"I know bro.. I'm just buggin'.. I don't want him to be depressed. He says he just needs her to forgive him. Be his friend. That's it." Hunter speaks, "Or at least try."

"Dude, to be honest I think that might be all he's gonna get from her right now." I confess.

"Yeah, I understand." Hunter lets out a frustrated grunt, " it's like I feel like I'm the middle man working over time trying to get everything right. To tie this end to that end nicely without any faults or mishaps. Blake expects to come home tomorrow and start over again. And he's convinced I can do it. And.. I .. I just can't! I can't make everyone act the same around him! Especially Tori."

"Uh.. dude… is he still in love with her?" I ask.

Hunter pauses. He hesitantly speaks, "Dustin, between you and me.. and being that you're her boyfriend, I shouldn't be saying this, but…. My brother.. lets just say…uh…. Yeah.."

"He's what?"

"He's crazy about her. But the difference is, now, he understands that he can't help his feelings. But he knows he cant do anything about them. You know?" Hunter tries to reassure me that Blake holds no threat. Now, I'm not feeling too hot about this..

"Dude, I hope so.. cuz that's not gonna fly so well with me knowing all that… If he can't control himself.. we don't want any repeats." My stomach turns at the thought. The thought of a) Blake stabbing me and b) Blake even thinking about touching Tori. Even knowing how he feels about her is making me sick.

"No repeats. I swear to you." Hunter says. His voice almost in a way, pleading.

"Ok." I sigh , "Ok.."

"Look, hey… can you just mention it to Tori.. hearing it from you, she might feel a little better about seeing him tomorrow."

"Sure.. I'll see what I can do." I say.

"Thank you.. it truly means a lot." Hunter says.

"Don't thank me, dude.. well.. I guess I'll see you tomorrow . I'll call you after I pick Shane up from the airport." I scratch my head.

"Cool. Goodnight , dude." Hunter lovingly says.

I smile, "Goodnight."

-click-

I close my phone and glance at the time. 12 a.m. midnight. I look over at Tori, sleeping like a baby with the sheets pulled up to her neck. She's curled in a tiny ball, her blonde hair all over the pillow. She's so peaceful. So beautiful. I have the light turned on to its lowest setting as I sit up in bed, wide eyed. I don't feel too good about this. About Blake feeling the same way for Tori. For my girlfriend. My baby. I don't know. This is what caused all his past breakdowns. Where he just 'snapped'. Went crazy. Tried to kill me. Yeah, how can we forget that one. I know, I'm the one who was preaching all this stuff to Tori about giving him a chance and forgiving him. Trying to make this all okay again. Forget the past.. build the future. But honestly, I'm starting to feel threatened. I'm starting to feel like I don't want him around her. At least not when I'm not around. Right next to her. I'm starting to feel like maybe Tori is the only one who's really seeing the big picture. The reality of it all. And it wouldn't be the first, or last time, she was absolutely 100 right.

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A/N: Thanks for reading... sorry for the long pauses between updates.. dude, I am so swamped at work! :( Thanks for still reading :) I'll try to post faster.. please review! You rock so hard!!

cyn