AN: Song by Jann Arden 'Hanging By A Thread'

Chapter Eight: Tears

"Tori, do you wanna..." Trini started to yell to her sister, who was in another room. Suddenly, Tori came flying out of her room, tying her hair into a pony-tail.

"Sorry, Trini, can't. Gotta go to work." Tori said, grabbing her coat and bag. Trini sighed.

"You've worked every night this week." She said. Which was true. Trini had been at her sisters house for 6 days. The first day, the two sisters spent together watching movie and eating junk food. The other 5 were spent with Tori running off to work.

"I know, Trini. But I have to." Tori said. She gave no further explanation before running out of the door. Trini waited a few seconds and then stood up.

"I think I'm going to visit some old friends." She said, grabbing her keys to the apartment, her jacket, and her purse. She called a cab on her cell phone as she walked out the door.

Trini directed the cab to her destination. Once the cab had stopped, Trini got out and handed the cabbie money through the open window.

"Keep the change." She muttered to the cabbie before walking off and into the store she had wanted to go to since her plain landed. Storm Chargers. Trini walked in and up to the cash register, where she spotted Dustin at the back doing repairs on a bike. "Can I get some serves out here!" She yelled back to him, leaning over the counter. Dustin's head shot up, and, after her realized it wasn't a real customer, a smile slowly spread across his face. He jumped up from his spot on the floor next to the bike, and ran around the counter. When he got to Trini, he grabbed her in a huge bear hug. Trini laughed. "Nice to see you too, Dustin." She said, hugging him back. Dustin pulled away from her.

"How have you been? I Haven't seen you for, like, two years." He said. Trini shrugged.

"Just been dealing with a pain in the ass sister for about a week, but other than that, I'm fine." She said. Dustin's smile faded.

"How is Tori?" He asked. Trini gave him a bit of a thoughtful smile.

"You and Shane are worried about her, huh?" She asked. Dustin sighed.

"Not just me and Shane, she's got other people worried about her also." He said. Trini raised her eyebrows.

"Big sis' made friends. Wow, the world really is a'changin'." She said, trying to make Dustin laugh. He did smile.

"Yeah, well, we all met over some interesting circumstances." He said. Trini heard the bell signaling that somebody was walking into the store.

"Hey man." Blake said. Trini turned around and saw Shane and another person. Shane smiled and came over, greeting Trini much like Dustin had.

"I didn't think I'd see you for this visit." He said, letting Trini go.

"Um, guys, wanna clue me in?" Blake asked. Shane nodded.

"Trini, Blake. Blake, this is Tori's sister Trini." He said to him. Blake's eyes widened. Trini rolled hers.

"You're all acting like the wicked witch of the surf was keeping me hidden in a dungeon some where." She said, folding her arms over her chest. "But, no such luck. Little Miss Tori went to work today." She said. Blake looked up from the spot on the floor he had been staring at.

"Where is Tori, I mean..." He started. But he cut himself off when he saw the thoughtful smile fall onto Trini's face.

"I'm sorry guys, I can't tell you that." She said, running a hand through her died black hair. She then fully smiled. "But, I guarantee, next time me and big sis' get into a fight, the info's yours." She said before turning and walking to and out the door of Storm Chargers.

Trini was home before Tori. When Tori walked in, she went straight to her closet.

"So guess what, Trini?" She asked from her room as she changed.

"What?" Trini yelled back as she skimmed through a magazine. Tori came out of her room in a pair of blue-jeans and a black strapless top.

"I'm going to this seventeen and older club to sing tonight." She said, a smile on her face. Trini made a loud sigh and slapped her magazine down onto the floor.

"Anything to get away from me, huh?" She asked. Tori furrowed her eyebrows.

"What?" She asked. Trini stood up and turned to her sister.

"The only reason I come down here is to visit you!" She yelled. "And you work every day and night. The one night you have off, and you decide to go clubbing. And at a club where they don't let anyone in under 17 non-the-less." She said. Tori bit her lip.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't..." She stared.

"No," Trini yelled cutting her off. "You weren't! But the thing is, you hate your shitty life! You're trying to do everything in your power to get away from it! That includes getting away from me." She said. Trini then turned and grabbed her bag off the couch.

"Where are you going?" Tori asked, a sigh running through her voice.

"I'm going somewhere where people not only won't run away, but also where people might actually want me around." She said before walking to the apartment door, opening it, and slamming it shut. Tori brought her hands up to her face and rubbed her eyes. She then ran a hand through her hair. Tori looked around the apartment. She sighed and grabbed her coat. She stuck some money in one of the pockets and then left.

Once again, Trini pulled up somewhere in a cab. The cabbie looked at the place. It was a forest. Trini quickly gave him the money, and jumped out of the car. Trini started making the trek through the forest. About ten minutes later, Trini was at the water fall. She walked through it and found her self looking at another door. She walked through that one and found herself looked around the corner at Shane, Dustin, Blake, Hunter, Cam, and Jema.

"Any luck Cam?" Hunter asked. Cam shook his head.

"I can't get a lock on her." He said sadly. Trini stepped out of her hiding place.

"It's taking you guys a lot to find someone that's just a town over." She said. All the guys - and girl - jumped at Trini's sudden appearance.

"Trini, what are you doing here?" Shane asked.

"Yeah, and um, how did you get in?" Dustin asked, scratching the back of his head.

"Number one: Looking for you guys, Number Two: With this." She said, pulling Tori's morpher out of her bag. "Tori had it sitting on her table at home and I'd seen her use it to get in here." Trini said. Shane raised an eyebrow.

"Where is she?" He asked suddenly.

"Some seventeen and older club near Storm Chargers." Trini said. Jema stepped forward.

"Who are you?" Jema asked. Trini put her hands on her hips.

"I'm Tori's sister." She said. Jema put her hands on her own hips, and then turned back to the boys.

"Somebody should probable go talk to her." She said. Cam stood up.

"I'll go." He said.

"You want somebody to go with you?" Blake asked. Cam shook his head.

"We're not dealing with a monster guys, we're dealing with Tori." He said before leaving Ops.

"Same thing." Trini muttered.

"Where's her apartment?" Hunter asked, ignoring Trini's last comment. "I mean, if Cam can't talk to her, it would make sense to be there when she got back." He said.

"21511 Stargrass Dr., Creek Place Apartment #23." Trini said without missing a beat. Dustin furrowed an eyebrow.

"That's right in the next town. So, why were we having such a hard time finding her?" He asked. The rest of them shrugged before heading out.

Jema and Trini were walking next to each other, on there way to two of the guys cars.

"I can understand Tori's needing to leave her old life." Jema said suddenly to Trini as they walk. The four guys were about a yard behind them and weren't listening. Trini rolled her eyes. The guys were starting to catch up.

"You don't know anything about Tori." Trini muttered, an acidic tone in her voice. Jema grabbed Trini's arm, stopping her.

"Why do you both seem to hate me so goddamn much?" She asked. The boys, who had caught up, stopped. Jema took no notice. "Yeah, you're right," She said before Trini could answer her previous question. "I don't really know anything about your sister or you - and, for the record, not my fault - but I do know what it's like to be abused by your father. I know what it's like to run away from your problems. And I'll be damned if I'm gonna let you both hate me for no good reason." She said before letting go of Trini's arm and continuing her treck toward her car. Trini stood still for a moment. So did the boys. The first person to move was Blake, who went running after Jema. A few seconds passed and they all started to walk again in silence.

Tori enter the club. It was pretty crowded. She had signed up to perform already, so she didn't have to worry about waiting on that line. Tori was there for about 15 minutes before her name was call, saying she was needed 'On Deck'.

Cam arrived at the club about 5 minutes after Tori was called backstage. When he walked in, she had just walked onto the stage.

Tori had her eyes closed as she stood at the mike. She knew the song by heart and was waiting for the music to get to the part where she started singing...

When I cry, I close my eyes
and every tear falls down inside
and I pray with all my might
That I will find my heart in someone's arms
When I cry, cry

Tori's eyes stayed shut. She didn't even notice Cam walk into the club. All she could here were the words and how much she felt them. How close they seemed to her life.

When I cry, when I am sad
I think of every awful thing I ever did
When I cry, there is no love
No there is nothing that can comfort me enough
When I cry, cry, cry

Tori felt a tear roll down her cheek. Singing the words made her feel them even more. Like they were apart of her.

The salt inside my body ruins everyone I come close to
My hands are barely holding up my head
I am so tired of looking at my feet
and all the secrets that I keep
My heart is barely hangin' by a thread, hangin' by a thread

Cam looked up at Tori. That was really why she left. She thought she was going to mess up their lives.

Oh look at me, at all I've done
I've lost so many things that I so dearly love
I lost my soul, I lost my pride
Oh I lost any hope of having a sweet life
So I cry, cry, cry

She really though she had done terrible things, Cam thought to himself. He was close enough to the stage to see a few tears slide down Tori's cheeks.

Oh the salt inside my body ruins everyone I come close to
My hands are barely holding up my head
Oh I'm so tired of looking at my feet
and all the secrets that I keep
My heart is barely hangin' by a thread, hangin' by a thread

Tori rapped her arms around her stomach protectively and opened her eyes as she sang the last verse.

I miss you all
I wish I was
With you now
I wish I was

As Tori finished the song, she glanced down and saw Cam. She held his gaze for a few seconds as a few more tears made there way down Tori cheeks before she turned and ran off the stage. Cam forced his way through the crowd, trying to go after her. The second Cam got backstage, a side door was closing. Cam ran over and opened the side door. When he got outside, Tori was nowhere to be seen.