This is for you Em! Hope you enjoy it!

Love ya,

Rob

Chapter Twelve

Fade Away

The next few days were rather uneventful, seeing as it was summer time. Tori toyed with the idea of getting a part-time job for a little while, just so she wouldn't die of boredom. But discarded the idea once she realized she already had a job, even though she had no idea what she would be doing with it. She still hadn't had a chance to have a one on one talk with Lady Une.

So, today was another one of those boring, hot days. She had already watched all the movies that were interesting in the house. The few books she had were already read multiple times, and she didn't feel like picking one up and starting it again. So, she grabbed her wallet and her keys to her new car, accidentally leaving her new cell phone behind.

Well, new used car.

But it was still nice.

She hopped in and turned up the radio, blaring it out the windows. She was in a good mood today. Seeing as Wufei was out of the house, doing his "alone time" thing, she really had nothing better to do than go shopping and waste his-I mean her money.

So, to the bookstore she went.

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After grabbing a hot Chai tea from the small wannabe Starbucks café in the store, she went strolling through the aisles. Her mouth started to water, as she looked at all the history books on display. All of them were about the Knights Templar and the Holy Grail.

She grabbed at least three of them and read the jackets. After putting two of them back, she went to the fantasy section. She was there for at least half an hour looking at all the books with the best drawings of dragons and maidens on the covers.

Tori was crouched down near the floor, and for some reason, she didn't feel like getting up. She could feel someone's eyes on her. And she really wasn't in the mood for a fight, especially in a bookstore. That would be just plain rude to the books. Forget about the customers and staff. She just didn't want the precious hardbacks and paperbacks to be destroyed or harmed in any way.

After debating for five minutes in her head on what to do, she finally got up and walked to the register. Then, after spending Wufei's- I mean her money, she walked out of the store and towards her car. She really felt like running to it, but knew she wouldn't be able to without alarming the person that was still following her.

She was starting to get a headache when she placed the bag into her car and turned around.

Instead of expecting to see some bulky looking man three times her size, her eyes met a small blonde woman with a timid look in her eyes.

"M-miss Victoria?" Her quiet voice asked.

"Yes." Tori said slowly, wondering whom the woman was.

"Lady Une told me to give you a message."

Tori nodded her head and the woman continued, her voice never rising from barely above a whisper.

"She wants you to drop by the office ASAP." She told her.

Tori just nodded again and thanked her before getting in her car. On the way to the building she kept on wondering what it was about. Why did she want to see her immediately? Did it have to do with Simon? Or… did something happen to Wufei?

She squashed that thought back down with an invisible foot. There was no way something could have happened to him. He was… too arrogant to let anything happen to him. Nope, no way, he was fine, end of story.

So, why did it feel like her whole life was fading away around her?

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After getting lost three times, she finally pulled up in one of the parking spaces. It took all of her self-control to not run into the building and demand what was going on.

The secretary at the front desk told her to go straight in. She took a deep breath and walked in.

Inside the office was none other than Lady Une, her body stiff in her chair, as if she had been sitting in it for a very long time. Tori apologized for being late and sat down in the seat opposite her.

"I asked you here because I have some… troubling news. Tori I'm sorry to inform you that your… foster mother was murdered a few hours ago. It appears to be the work of Simon or one of his men. I'm sorry for your lose…" Her voice got firmer as she went on. She had had to deal with this kind of situation before, but it didn't mean she liked it. Nor was she immune to it.

Tori just sat there. Her whole world came crashing back down, hitting her straight on. Everything around her seemed to brighten. She was feeling… strange.

She smiled.

"Don't worry about it, Lady. It wasn't your fault."

Tori was a bit saddened by the thought of knowing that she had died, but it wasn't like she was close or anything. The only thing she really felt was guilt because it had been her fault that she was killed. But to know that it wasn't something more serious… like Wufei being hurt, or worse made her mood lighten slightly.

She shook her head, trying not to think of what it could have been. She needed to be thinking about what she should do now.

"When will her funeral be held?" She asked quietly.

"This coming Sunday. Is there… anything I can do for you?" She asked uncertainly, the only time in the whole conversation where she wasn't sure on how to act or what to say.

"No, I'm fine. Don't worry about me. Is there anything else? Anything on Simon or that Cardano guy?"

Lady Une shook her head disappointingly.

"No, I'm afraid not. Nothing yet."

Tori stood up to leave.

"Well, it's fine with me for the time being. I wouldn't mind having a quiet life, even if it's just for a few weeks." She said, her eyes betraying nothing as she meant what she said.

She really wouldn't mind, actually. Even if she was bored, at least she was alive, and everyone that meant something to her was all right.

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Tori took the long way home after her meeting with Lady Une, and just enjoyed the feel of cool summer air rushing into her front window and hitting her face. The day wasn't nearly as hot as it had been, but it was still early. It might get hotter.

With a rash thought, she headed towards the grocery store. There was something she wanted to do, something that she had never done for anyone before. But she felt compelled to do it now.

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It was nearly dark by the time Wufei got back to the apartment. He was still slightly sweaty from his nice walk in the park. He had been there for over five hours. Of course, it would have been a lot less if he hadn't of gotten lost with all the damn tracks in there. It was still enjoyable, but he could have done without the particular trek over the marshes where he was chased by a water moccasin.

He sighed as he slipped off his shoes at the front door. The living room was dark, which he didn't seem to mind. He thought that Tori had gone to bed early when he saw a small light come from the kitchen.

He walked in and his eyes doubled in size. There on the table was at least a three-course meal with candles and everything. Wine glasses were set out next to the plates of fine china that he had never seen before, and silverware.

He blinked in surprise as he saw Tori standing there in a dark red dress that matched the wine. It had a corset front and long separate strands falling down towards her knees in a ballerina dress fashion. Her hair was held up in a bun that looked still wet; a few curls escaping its confines and tickling the side of her face.

It was beautiful. Even down to the unsure look on Tori's face.

She was smiling nervously at him, not sure on what to say. He didn't have any words to describe how amazing it was, so he walked up to her and kissed her.

When he pulled away, her usual grin was on her face. He wrapped his arms around her and looked down at her.

"So, what's the special occasion?"

"Oh, nothing." She told him, a hint of self-satisfaction in her voice. He smiled down at her.

"You look beautiful." He whispered in her ear. She giggled as she looked away. Her eyes fell onto the table and she slipped out of his grasp, grabbing him by the arm and sitting him down at the table.

"I made you a special dinner, and you're going to sit down and enjoy it. Whether you like it or not."

He just smiled at her as she sat down opposite him and started to pick at her food on the plate.

"Hey, where'd you get these plates? And these glasses?" He asked as he cut into his steak.

"I bought 'em."

"What? Why?"

"'Cause I wanted to. Now stop asking so many questions and eat. It's going to get cold if you just sit there and badger me."

After that, they just talked about their day. Tori keeping far away from the subject of her going to Une's and what happened to her foster mother. She didn't want him to ask her if she was all right.

Maybe it was because she felt guiltier about being happy and celebrating with him only a few hours after her death. There was something wrong with that wasn't there? There had to be, and she didn't want to go into it right now. Especially not when he was enjoying himself.

"Tori? Are you okay?"

Her head shot up. He had asked that question. The one she didn't want to hear. The one she never wanted to hear again.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine. Why?"

He looked at her questionably before saying, "You just kind of spaced out there for a while. Are you sure that everything's fine? Is there something you wanted to tell me? Are you in some kind of trouble or something?"

There it was again. And then he just had to add that didn't he. That was something a parent was supposed to ask their kid, not your boyfriend!

"I'm sure, all right. I'm fine. If I say I am, then I am. Understand?" She snapped at him.

He just stared at her, his knife and fork posed over his plate. Tori dropped her fork on her plate. It clanked loudly against it before it fell to the floor.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to say that." She said quietly as she scooted her chair back and stood up. She started to half walk half run out of the kitchen when Wufei stood up and caught her by the arm.

"Tori? What's wrong? I know there's something the matter. What is it? Please, tell me?"

Her head started to throb as a tingling sensation took over her body. Everything hurt… and she didn't know why. She just felt a sinking sensation in her stomach that told her she might hurl at any moment.

Why? What was this? She hadn't felt this way in… a long time. Not since she was twelve. The first time she had fired a gun… and killed someone who didn't deserve it.

It was shame.

It was her fault that she was dead… and there was nothing she could do about it. She would have to live with that for the rest of her life. Again.

"Tori? Victoria?" Wufei said as he shook her by her shoulders.

"I… she's dead. S-she's dead because of me." She stuttered.

"What? Who?" He asked.

"My… mother." She answered quietly as she buried her face into his chest. Her cries were silent as he just held her and let her get it all out.

He didn't have to ask any other questions.

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I'm really really sorry that this is soooooooooooooooooooooo late, but I've been having problems with writing lately. That and trying not to flunk the 10th grade. So far, I haven't been doing to well in either category. I'm starting to miss South Carolina… that scares me. Anyway, hope you enjoyed. I'll try and throw some more trowa and heero action in there later on, but I just didn't think it was appropriate in this chapter. So, sorry again and hope you liked it.

Love you all,

Robin