A/N: Blackguard: Oh, Blackguard, you are so delightfully filled with insight and rage.

So, this is kind of a quick update. Truthfully, I just wanted to get this one out of the way – though you'll love it, I hope – because the next chapter is my favorite! It's so full of everything I'd love to read. I'll give you a little preview at the end, first read this. And remember, enjoy!

Everything.

I know I made her promise to listen to me when I talk, but that doesn't necessarily mean I have to listen to her. Right? I mean, Mike is listening to her and it's not like I'm not listening on purpose. I actually have some really important stuff on my mind. I have a reason not to listen. She didn't walk in on the girl she used to hate, barely a month ago, to find she's in love. It wasn't even that bad at first, you know, when I didn't see her every day. Then I could easily keep my mind, and eyes, off of her, but now... I don't even want to look anywhere else.

Unless at moments like these, when Mike is all touchy-feely. Holding her hands, admiring her nails – he must be gay. He probably doesn't know it yet, that's why he's flirting with her. So he also doesn't know it about her. Come to think of it, no one here knows about her. Except for me, and probably Andre. Talk about the devil. There's Mr. Spaghetti coming right now, holding his finger over his lips, signaling to me I can't betray him; I randomly return my gaze to my nails. He stops behind Tori and places his hands over her eyes, a smile spreading over her face.

"Guess who?" She covers his hands with hers, says his name, then stands up to hug him.
We're sitting in the middle of the set, Michael and Tori's chairs next to each other, mine facing them and as Tori pulls away from the hug she looks around to find Andre a place to sit. He sits down on Tori's chair, earning a small laugh from her before she shrugs and casually decides to, sideways, take place in my lap.

"Oh-kay?" I remove my hands from my lap and hold them up, looking at her questioningly. I am completely taken aback. If this chair lacked a backrest, I would've fallen over from shock. She turns around to look at me.

"What?" Faked innocence masks her face and it's unbelievable how this woman can be such a great actress in front of a camera, but fails to convince in random situations. She's a great actress; an horrible liar.

"Umm..." I open my hands towards her, eyebrows raised in question.

"Friends sit in each other's laps." She shrugs and faces Andre, ready to start conversation. However, I am not finished yet.

"So you randomly sit in Cat's lap all the time?"

"All the time."

"All the time." Andre backs her up with a roll of his eyes. Which makes her laugh and I decide to drop the subject. I don't have any other question to confront her with anyway. So I lower my hands again, my left arm resting on the armrest, hand dangling of it; my right arm resting on the armrest, hand gently placed on her knee. I swear I feel her shudder for a millisecond, but it's so short, it probably was my imagination again.

"So, what are you doing here? Finished your songs?" Tori has started her conversation with Andre, completely abandoning whatever she was talking about with Michael.

"I have two finished as we speak," that causes me to look up and I see him smiling at me, I nod. Guess we're going to hear some music soon, can't wait.

"But I'm actually here because I saw that you're gonna have some action today, Tori." He practically purrs out the 'action', which makes me roll my eyes as I snort and then laugh even more as I see a blush creeping up Tori's cheeks. I poke her side with my right hand.

"What? You're not telling me you're nervous, right?" She doesn't answer. "Right?" She takes hold of my hand with both her hands, then speaks her response.

"I am not nervous, I just don't like audiences."

"You didn't seem to mind an audience seven years ago when you kissed Beck."

"That was different." She replies in the way she always said 'I don't talk like that.' whenever I would imitate her.

"Different how?" Andre and I ask simultaneously.

"Well..." I know she's getting nervous now. "I didn't know back then." Andre and I speak an almost inaudible 'oh', then leave the subject be. Wow, we're changing subject a lot.

"Know what?" Mike speaks up for the first time since Andre arrived and immediately Tori tenses up. She looks at Mike, stuttering the beginning of her sentence.

"Well... I, you see, I'm-" Then the alarm on my watch goes off and I know I'm the only one who heard Tori's relieved sigh as she is literally saved by the bell. I click the alarm off, pat Tori's knee and then stand up after her, clapping my hands.

"Lunch is over, guys. Time for some action!" Andre and I laugh as we leave, Tori looks like she is having a meeting with Death and Michael stays behind a little longer, having obviously no idea what the hell we were talking about.

As Tori and Mike are getting ready in make-up, Andre and I sit down about then feet away from the set. I'm casually going through the script again, before I notice Andre skeptically looking at me.

"What!" I have always respected Andre, not as much as I respected Beck, but more than Cat, no not more, as much as Cat. He's a serious guy – always has been, especially about his music – he's someone you can turn to with problems. I never did, but I know Tori did. I know he was her best friend, maybe still is. It amazed me that he never was in love with her; he always stood up for her, she knew everything about him first and she was always the one to sing songs with him. Except that one time, when she had to pass a class and he asked me. I respected him much more after that – though I hate tuna fish filet.

"You and Tori seem to have gotten close." It's not really a question nor an accusation. More like a statement, one he wants explained.

"Yeah. I brought her donuts, we're friends now."

"Because you brought her donuts?" He laughs.

"No, Sherlock. We had a little... situation, then I brought her donuts and now we're trying to work this friendship thing out."

"Friendship." He repeats, once again skeptically, as he turns away from me.

"What's that supposed to mean?" But before he can respond, the assistant director is asking me if I'm ready and Tori and Michael come on set. Michael is wearing a tuxedo – because they just left Katherine's exposition that required fancy clothing – and every straight girl would be drooling over him by now, because let's face it, he is not ugly. He is quiet handsome. But Tori is wearing a gorgeous black and white dress that simply fits her perfectly. It's not long, but not too short either; just above her knees. Her pinned-up hair makes her jaw come out beautifully and the make-up that almost isn't there – because she and I both hate overly done make-up – gives her face an angelic glow. She is simply gorgeous, absolutely breathtaking.

I quickly close my mouth as I realize it's hanging open, and I blink as I realize I'm staring. This is going to be a long day.

I sigh. This is even more horrible than watching some stupid reality-show about a bunch of people getting drunk and laid. Why did we cast this guy again? Don't get me wrong, I like Michael, it's just...

"I want to see passion. I want to feel it, right here. Ten feet away from you. Now do it again."

"Katherine, you can't leave. Not after all we've been through." He takes a step closer, slowly raising his right hand, she closes her eyes in anticipation and... I almost fall asleep. It's horrible to see from a distance, imagine being in a theater watching a close up.

"Passion, Mike! You need to show her that you love her, that she loves you. Show her what you were like together, show her what you could be like together." Instinctively I rise from my chair, throwing my arms around, apparently indicating 'together' with them. Mike looks horrified, as if I am going to hit him. Tori is taking it all in, like I'm yelling at her and this is her opportunity to learn.
Instinctively I rise from my chair to explain his job to Mike, involuntarily I make my way to Tori.

Our faces less than an inch apart, my hand slowly coming to rest on her cheek. We stare for less than a second, but it feels like eternity. Beautiful eternity.

That collision of brown and blue I have called beautiful before. But this time it's different. It's beautiful, and it's amazing. It's exquisite, pure and raw. It's everything, yet it's nothing.

Show her what you could be like together.

And before I realize it, our lips meet in a soft caress. She gasps and I can feel her right hand twitch against mine before she firmly takes hold of it. Somewhere far away I hear a voice tell me to pull away, to stop, but I ignore it. Soft, tender lips slowly moving against mine take away every coherent thought I have. Long, tanned fingers gently pinching my hand send sparks through my entire body, like little caterpillars shooting to my stomach to turn into beautiful butterflies when they arrive there.
Soft, tender lips slowly moving against mine and it's pure bliss. I allow myself another second to revel in it, before I pull away. My eyes still briefly closed, I let my hand slide from her cheek and face Mike.

"Passion." And with that I turn around, walking away.

"Take the rest of the day off. Watch some romantic movies, Mike. Fall in love." I say on my way to the door. As if it's timed, I speak my final word at the exit. Feeling every pair of eyes in the room watching me, I let the door close. My words and actions lingering in the room.

A/N: When I say 'a little preview' I mean a little preview! Title for the next chapter will be... *drum roll* ... Kiss Me Goodbye.
Naah, that doesn't sound good. That's because it isn't! Love isn't good, it's mean and bad and fake...

Ehm... Sorry, I am just a little... well, lonely, so I'll just go sit in a corner and pout, you go review and have beautiful, true love!