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Cat was finishing up fixing her bed when the knock at her door stopped her. She turned and smiled at her best friend, inviting Tori to enter the room. "Hey Tori, what's up?"

Tori gave the woman a shy smile. "I was just wondering if you were using the duffle bag."

Cat shook her head. "Oh no," she walked over to her closet and returned with a turquoise bag. "Are you going to the gym?" she asked eyeing the attire the woman wore. She had dark tights, a red jacket that was zipped up to her neck and of course the gray running shoes she always wore. Her hair was pulled up in a high messy ponytail. Cat had to give her best friend credit, even when she was dressed to work out she looked beautiful.

Tori blushed looking down and played with the bag's handles. "Actually I'm going home, Cat." she answered after a moment. Brown eyes remained fixed on the bag as she waited to the woman to answer.

"Oh, for the holidays? That's great!" Cat said with excitement. She knew how much Tori missed being home. It would do her some good to return to see her parents.

"No, Cat I'm going back home to stay," she said slowly and quieter. She worried her bottom lip trying to keep from crying. She'd planned on only going for the Holidays and make it back to Seattle just in time for the spring semester to begin, but those plans had vanished immediately the night before after she'd returned from the park.

Her cellphone awoke her at six in the morning. In a sleepy haze Tori reached to answer her phone that had remained on the floor. She collapsed on her knees speechless upon answering. It had been her father on the line. He was in the emergency room with her mother, who was under critical condition and surveillance. Holly had stayed up all night sick from her stomach and unable to sleep. When she began to cough blood David had no choice but to take her to the hospital. The doctors had managed to stabilize Holly and upon further analysis discovered that she was no longer responding to any of the treatments. Her body was refusing them.

Tori had been able to breathe. She'd sat on the floor staring at her phone for nearly an hour, unable to process the news. It couldn't be possible. Just hours before she'd been speaking to her mother, she'd sound just fine, healthy. Tori had yet to bring up the subject to her father, but she was determined to stay home. Her mother was...she wouldn't think about it. Her mother needed her.

"Stay? What about school?" Cat questioned in confusion. She pouted at the news. She didn't want her best friend to leave.

Tori shrugged. "It's not important right now, Cat. I just need to go back home and stay for a while."

"Tori, what's going on? You're starting to scare me."

Tears began to rise in brown eyes. She had to tell the red head, she was her best friend. "She's sick, Cat," her voice began to break. "She's... It came back in September and she was going through the treatments again, she was doing so well but…" Tori stopped not wanting to face the reality of the situation. She knew what it meant. Holly was on a time limit now. "She stopped responding to treatment, Cat. I need to be with her. I just can't sit here and do nothing. She…"

Cat wrapped her arms around Tori. It finally made sense to Cat why Tori had been working out so much, why she always seemed to be bust with work. She wanted to distract herself, she'd been running away from the problem, or at least trying to. "Tori, why didn't you tell me? You carried this around for three months."

"You had your own things to worry about, Cat." Tori said breaking away from the embrace. She wiped away her tears and took in a deep breath. "I should have told you, I just got so caught up with school and work," she shook her head knowing there was really no excuse. She'd just fail to tell her best friend. "I um… I need to pack my things," she smiled weakly. "Thanks for the bag, Cat."

Before Cat could protest or manage another word Tori slipped out of the room, shutting the door behind her. Cat stood stunned with silence. Her best friend had carried such a burden for three months and she had failed to notice it. How could she have missed the signs? Her brown eyes gave her away so easily, so how had she missed it? Knowing she would not be able to get another word from the brunette, Cat returned to her prior activity with less enthusiasm. She would have to find some way to cheer her best friend up.

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Jade was trying to find something to keep herself busy. It appeared that Sikowitz had thought it be best if she had three days off in a row and now she found herself going mad having to be stuck at home. Cat was at work and Tori...well Tori didn't want to see her. She'd been in a foul mood all day. The conversation remained fresh in her mind. The days had dragged since that day and though it had only been three days, they felt like weeks. Tori had been so angry, so cold. Jade shook her head. She huffed dropping her head against the arm of the couch. She had to find something productive to do. Surely Tori was… Damn it! It seemed like no matter what she did her thoughts always returned to the young Vega.

The phone on the coffee table startled her. She jumped up and reached to answer it. "Hey Cat" she smiled reading the name. Deep down she would have preferred the caller had been a certain brown eyed woman.

"Listen Jade could you please do me a favor," Cat sounded very anxious.

Jade sat up feeling unsure. "Uh, sure what do you need?" It made her nervous at how concerned the red head sound.

Cat paused contemplating whether or not to tell her girlfriend. Surely she'd find out eventually anyway, she decided. "It's Tori she's...well she's pretty upset. She hasn't left her room in days, Jade. She won't eat and when she does get out of her room it's to go jogging. I'm worried about her." Tori had remained distant from her best friend after breaking the news. She refused to eat feeling too sick to keep anything down, but always excused herself by saying she'd eaten earlier. Cat knew Tori was lying through her teeth. She was looking too pale as the days passed. It was getting worse.

"What happened?" Jade pressed suddenly scared by the woman's strange behavior. It couldn't possibly have anything to do with their conversation. She'd been the one to break it off.

Cat sighed. Jade could hear the sadness in her tone as she spoke. "Her mother is ill, Jade. She was undergoing treatment for her cancer a few months ago but now she's not responding to them anymore. Tori's a mess Jade and I'm really scared. I don't think she should be alone right now but I can't miss work right now. We have inventory going on."

"I'll go over," Jade said without needing Cat to ask. She felt heartbroken by the news. Why hadn't Tori told her? Had she just found out? So many questions filled her head, but only one seemed to really hit her. How was Tori really handling it? Jade promised the red head she'd go check on the young Vega. She didn't need convincing, she wanted to make sure she was okay; Jade knew she wasn't.

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Half an hour later Jade stood before the young Vega's apartment door. She'd changed quickly after hanging up with the red head. She didn't want to waste any more time away from Tori, but as she outside the door Jade found herself feeling unsure. Tori had told her to stay away. She wasn't sure if she should honor the woman's wishes during such a sensitive time.

Her body seemed to act before she could decide. Before she knew it her hand was colliding against wood, knocking and hoping there would be an answer. Jade didn't have to wait too long.

The door opened slowly revealing a pale looking brunette. She appeared almost sick. She had bags under her eyes and was way too pale for Jade's liking. Her cheeks stood out from her loss of weight, clearly from lack of nutrition. She wore a loose hoodie to the side that exposed her right shoulder. Her sleeves were rolled up to the elbow. The gray sweats looked like the ones she wore the last time Jade had seen her jogging in the park a few weeks ago. From what Cat had told her, she made it sound lighter than it really was. Tori looked ill herself. The way she leaned against the door made her appear too weak and fragile to stand.

"Cat's not here right now," Tori informed her casually when Jade said nothing. Her hand remained on the door not allowing the other woman any room to enter.

"I'm not looking for Cat," Jade's brows furrowed. It frustrated her how cold the brunette was being. What was wrong with her? A wave of sadness fell over her. Tori had acted just the same way once when they clashed at the park. Jade could now see that it was a defensive mechanism she used to suppress her feelings. She'd been so broken then about her mother, Jade could hardly imagine how she must feel now. "Tori I-"

"Jade, please just go home," Tori said with exhaustion. She was too tired to argue. She didn't have enough energy to keep her emotions in line. Being around Jade was always tricky. The woman just had a way of breaking down her walls without knowing it.

Jade remained where she was for a moment. She looked the brunette over and noticed the red rimmed eyes. She'd been crying. Jade shook her head knowing that no matter how hard she tried, she could not leave her alone. "I'm not going anywhere, Tori. I just want to talk."

Tori turned and entered the apartment without a reply. She left the door open signaling for Jade to follow. She knew the woman would not let it go. Whatever she had to say would be heard.

Jade took the opportunity without a second thought and followed closing the door behind her. She was a few steps behind the brunette and did not fail to miss the way the woman walked appearing to be off balance in a drunken phase. Jade walked in to the living room and found the young Vega leaning against the couch with her arms crossed waiting for her to begin talking.

"Tori," she began nervously. "How are you feeling?"

Tori's brows knitted together in irritation. "Are you really here to ask how I'm feeling, Jade, because if you are then you're just wasting both of our time," Tori snapped. She swallowed a lump that threaten to consume her. She had to handle this on her own.

Jade could see how the woman struggled to keep her composure. Her hands were trembling as was her chin. "No, of course not," she sighed. "How's your mom holding up? Is she okay?" Idiot, she cursed herself. She had meant to be more sensitive about the subject. The way the woman reacted to the question told her it was indeed too sensitive of a subject to be too blunt about it.

Tori winced at the mention of her mother. "She's been better," she muttered ignoring the shiver that ran up her. She didn't want to think about her right now. It hurt too much. Jade wasn't helping either. Just her presence made her heart ache, knowing she would never be able to with the woman. Her emotions were highly sensitive at the moment. She had to be very careful, knowing anything could easily set her off.

"Tori just talk to me, please." She could see how much it hurt Tori to hold in what was bothering her. She needed to get it off her shoulders. Her struggle was too evident to ignore, to just leave alone.

Tori growled. She couldn't handle the pressure. Why did she have to show up on such on delicate time? Why? She opened her mouth to speak knowing well she'd regret what she was going to say.

"What do you want from me Jade? Do you want to hear how devastated I am to know my mother is no longer responding to treatments? Do you want to hear about how I can't sleep at night knowing that she's lying on a bed with time slipping away from her? Or do you want to hear that I'm holding up just fine, that none of this has affected me in anyway? I'm doing great. Just great!" she snapped. Tears betrayed her and slipped down numb cheeks as she stared angrily into azure. She hated the strong hold Jade had over her without even knowing it. It had been the same the day she broke down in the park. She couldn't really lie to Jade. She had to try, just like a couple days back when she told her to leave her alone. Tori had struggled to keep from calling Jade after she received the about her mother. She'd stayed away from Cat for that same reason. All she could think about was Jade. She wanted, needed to be with Jade. She needed her to hold her and whisper comforting words. That was all she had wanted the last few days, Jade's comforting.

Jade ignored the daggers the brunette was boring at her. She closed the space between them and wrapped her arms around her soothing her auburn locks. "Hey, shh it's okay. It's okay," she cooed as the woman continued to cry in her arms.

"I don't know what to do," she cried. Tori clung to Jade with her head buried beside the woman's neck. She felt safe in the woman's arms. For just that brief moment it felt like the world had faded away, like everything was okay, and her mother wasn't sick. But she was. She was sick and no longer responding to treatments. Managing to control herself, Tori pulled as far as the pale woman would allow her. She had to remind herself not to get close to the woman.

Jade didn't know what to say. All she could do was hold the woman as she cried. There were really no words to sooth what was happening. As she looked into the brown eyes, she could have sworn she saw a glimpse of the Tori she knew, not the cold brunette she'd encountered at the park. "Tori, you're burning up," she gasped as she wiped away the tears from Tori's cheeks. She pressed her hand against the woman's forehead. She was indeed burning up. It was then that Jade noticed the small drops of sweat covering Tori's neck.

"I'm fine," Tori shrugged. She stepped back only to lose her balance.

Jade reached out just in time to hold her up. She hooked her arm around Tori's waist and led her around to the couch. Tori kept her eyes closed as she rested against the comfort of the furniture.

Jade stood up and ran off to retrieve a damped towel. She needed to lower the woman's fever. She gently pressed the towel over the Tori's temple, who kept her eyes closed the entire time. Tori hummed in appreciation at the feel of the cool material against her warm skin. Her stomach grumbled causing the blue eyed woman to eye her in suspicion.

"Tori, when was the last time you ate?" Jade asked with concern. Surely her lack of nutrition was the reason for her fever.

"Sunday evening I think. I don't know, I just haven't had time," she answered tiredly. Tori was actually really hungry, but she just couldn't seem to find the energy to eat. She'd been too tired to do so.

"Sunday? Tori it's Wednesday!" Jade moved the second towel she'd grabbed and passed it around Tori's neck to clear away the sweat around the area. "Hold this here, Tori. I'll make you something to eat."

"But I don't want…" Tori began, opening her eyes just in time to watch the woman walk away.

Jade gave her no room to protest. She marched into the kitchen and searched around the room and began to pull out all sorts of vegetables. She found the cabinet that contained noodles and pulled those out too. She was going to make Tori the best soup she'd ever tasted.

Tori sat back with the towel over her eyes. She couldn't help but smile at the way Jade insisted on taking care of her. She shut her eyes allowing herself to rest while Jade worked away in the kitchen. It was the first time in three days she actually felt relaxed, she could feel the fever subsiding as she slowly drifted off to sleep.

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The only sound in the apartment came from the living room television as Cat walked in. "Tori?" she softly called out into the dim room. She was ready to raise her voice and call out for her best friend again when she stopped in her tracks just in front of the living room. What she found created a warm feeling inside of her. It was just perfect. She held her coat close to her and smiled down at the two sleeping women on the couch.

Jade had an arm around Tori in a protective way, holding the woman as close as possible. Tori rested her head over Jade's shoulder, her arm lay lazily around Jade's free hand, their fingers barely touching. Cat grabbed the blanket from the other couch and covered them with it. It was an odd feeling she felt as she watched the two sleep, almost as if they had done it many times before. They were so comfortable and relaxed that Cat herself felt like she was the third wheel. If the woman hadn't been dating the sleeping raven haired woman, she would have agreed that Jade and Tori make quite a lovely couple.

She shut off the television and made her way to her room leaving the sleeping pair to rest. Cat was just glad to see that Tori was finally resting, and judging by the bowl she'd noticed on the coffee table, eating, too. Jade had quite an influence when it came to Tori, Cat had realized. She shrugged the thought away and prepared herself for bed. The thought of the two being a good pair burned in the back of her mind as she drifted off to sleep.

Hmm Cat was pretty okay with how she found them.

Uh oh Tori's mother is really ill.

What could that mean?

Let me know what you think!

Reviews do inspires chapters!

Review please! ;)