Hi all,

Sorry it's taken me sooooo long to update! I just got back to school and my job so life was pretty hectic! To make it up to you I've posted everything that I've written for this story!

Lemme know what you think!

Much love

Later it was just me and Tori left in the house, everyone else having gone to town for a visit to the local Farmers Market. Well Mr. Bae and Aunt Lauren were going to the Farmers Market; Derek and Simon had gone to a comic store or something. I didn't understand boys' obsessions with comic books, video games and stuff like that. But then again, most people didn't understand my obsession with movies.

Apparently the Market and comic books were beneath Tori so I had been "voluntold" to stay and keep her company. I didn't mind staying behind, but it was strange that I didn't even get to say goodbye to anyone. When Simon and I had reached the mowed lawns of the house he began jogging ahead of me, waving before hopping in the van where the rest of the group – minus Tori – were waiting. I waved back, sighing and turned to the house. My stomach rumbled, it was time for a real breakfast.

I was sitting in the kitchen eating my cereal when I began to get suspicious. The others had left only an hour before but I had yet to lose Tori. She had been following me around like a shadow regardless of where I went or what I was doing. While I ate she sat at the other end of the breakfast bar, studiously filing her nails and flipping through a fashion magazine that Mr. Bae had bought for her. I sighed and stood up, walking to the stairs where I ascended halfway before Tori caught up with me. So she was fallowing me. Great.

Finally I decided to watch TV, something we could both do without it driving me up the proverbial wall. I sat down on the couch and pulled my legs up under me, leaning on the sofa arm. Tori sat on the other end of the couch mirroring me, sitting on her feet. As hard as I tried to concentrate on the show I couldn't ignore the fact that Tori was staring at me.

"Ok, what is it? Something on my face?" I finally demanded, fed up with her constant attention.

"Huh? No, nothing like that! You're face is fine, perfect... and I never thought I'd say that but it's true." She seemed ruffled by something and I stared at her as she tried to string her words together, jaw muscles working furiously.

"I guess that I... no wait let me start again." She took a deep breath. "I want to apologize. Officially I mean. For getting you in trouble with Derek all those times, and for locking you in that crawl space. And everything else I've done." I looked at her in time to see her wipe at a tear that had escaped her impeccably lined eye. "I just... I know that I've done a lot of bad stuff but I want you to know that I am sorry; so, so, so sorry."

I think I was in shock.

To hear Tori actually apologizing for something that she had done, more than one thing,was incredible. Some small part of me, okay a slightly bigger than small part, wanted me to gloat; to coax more tearful apologies out of her and simply enjoy the moment. But I couldn't. Of course I couldn't. I slid down to her end of the couch awkwardly and tried to think of something, anything, that I could say to take away some of her pain. It was true that she had done a lot of terrible things, but admittedly they could have been products of the situations we were placed in. I mean, it's not easy to be told you're a normal yet mentally ill teenager with the promise of going home to finding out you're actually homeless, familyless, moneyless, and a genetically altered supernatural to boot. After all, everything seems to have worked out pretty well. We found Mr. Bae, had Aunt Lauren back and had taken down the Edison Group. Well mostly. Not to mention we all still had each other, and if I were being honest Tori probably had more than me, even if she didn't know it. Her mother may have been killed but she had a dad and two step-brothers who, even if they would never ever admit it, loved her. And if I were being one-hundred percent honest, I was jealous.

"No, no! It's okay; you know I don't hold any of that against you!" I took her hand and looked her in the eye, just to show her how serious I was. "I forgave you for locking me in that crawl space a while ago! I probably should have let you know..." I trailed off, "but anyways, I totally don't blame you! And everyone knows that half the time Derek's angry it's just with himself!" I was worried that she would start to cry or something. Like actually cry. I may be a girl, but that does not mean I know what to do with a crying teenager. "This is a good place, we can finally relax! We can just be us and I for one, want to start anew. Forget everything from before and move forward! I know we can because I forgive you, you just need to forgive yourself." I leaned forward and hugged her, it was awkward sure but I felt like it was the right thing to do.

Apparently I was wrong because she immediately burst into tears, throwing her arms around me and sobbing heartily into my shoulder. "Chloe, why are you so nice! I mean, I'm just a thorn in your side all the time and you just forgive me!" She wiped her eyes and pulled back from me, "You have gone from one of the people I trusted least in the world to the one I trust most. Thank You." Suddenly she sat up and wiped her eyes decisively.

"Anyways, enough of this! I think what I really need is a girls' day, and since the boys are gone we should start now!" Jumping up from the couch she grabbed my arm and dragged me out of the room.

Forty-five minutes later I was lying on my bed letting the gelatinous goop, supposedly passing for a mask, dry. Tori was filing my nails like her life depended on it. More like she was taking out her anger on my nail beds.

"Alright, I think they are as close to perfect as they will ever be!" she announced grandly as she tossed the nail file over her shoulder dramatically. "Now, down to business!" I sat up and gave her a suspicious look; well as best I could with this crap on my face. "After you wash your face!" And with that I was permitted to leave the room momentarily to wash my face.

"So I heard Derek asked you out last night... and as much as I hate to admit it, it was really cute!" Tori was squealing, and I was starting to get seriously concerned. She went from crying on the verge of hysteria to giggling happily faster than I could say "Spielberg". I was starting to suspect there might actually be something seriously wrong with this girl. Well more wrong than being the offspring of a witch and a warlock, whose mother just died and who didn't know had a father still kickin'. A father who had neglected to let his only daughter know she wasn't completely alone in this world. Not to mention Tori's lack of control, both over her temper and her powers.

"How do you even know he asked me out?"

Tori waved her hand like it was no big deal, "Oh I hear everything, I like to be on top of things here. Keeps me in the loop, you know." She shrugged and I felt my guilty with the realization that even with all the changes we had gone through lately, Tori was still a bit of an outsider. Not that we intentionally left her in the dark, more like it was just old habit that had yet to be corrected.

It wasn't like Derek asking me out was even a particularly news worthy piece of information.

"Is that what this is all about?" I asked dubiously, "because you didn't have to do all this just because he asked me out. I mean, I look worse on a daily basis. I just figured I would wash up and get Aunt Lauren to put some make up on me..." I trailed off as her expression went from excited to horrified.

"NO! This is supposed to be your first official date! You can't just do what you always do, it has to be special! Enough of this, lay down. I just bought this new body mask that's supposed to make your skin just glow!" She pushed me back down on the bed and before I knew what was happening I was encased in a gloopy mess, again.

It was easily after seven-thirty by the time Tori released me. I had heard everyone come back hours earlier and still I wasn't able to escape our bedroom. I was even escorted to pee for goodness sake! I couldn't even leave the room in clothes of my own choosing. Being imprisoned at the Edison Group headquarters wasn't as difficult as this supposed relaxing day!

Freshly washed, plucked, toned and moisturized I finally emerged from the bathroom and found out the real reason for Toris' "girl day".