Disclaimer: See previous chapters.

Tori opened the door to her apartment with a smile on her face. "Hey, Hunter!" she said as she turned to go down the hall to the bedroom that she had set up as an office. "I'm on with Blake, let me just get off IM and I'll be with you."

Hunter stepped into the apartment and closed the door before following Tori down the hall. "Hey, um, I forgot that it was IM night," Hunter said a little awkwardly as he was mentally hitting his head against the wall for being so dense. This was just a bad idea.

He stood at the doorway and watched her type on the computer with a small grin on her face. Then, there was a puzzled frown. She typed a little more then gave a small huff and rolled her eyes. Hunter just smiled at her expressions. You always knew how Tori felt because everything showed on her face and she never bothered to hide her emotions. "Get over here, Hunter. Blake says he wants to tell you something."

Hunter came around the edge of the desk and looked at the two screens open on her computer. While he scanned over Blake's last message, a request that he talk to Hunter, Tori continued to type to someone else on the other screen. "Who's that?" Hunter asked skimming what Tori was typing.

"Janine," she replied absently.

Hunter grinned. Now Blake was trying to get Tori to go into the other room so that he and Hunter could talk in private. Tori complained about this to Janine and Janine sent back a little yellow happy face rolling about and laughing. "Well, I know when I'm not wanted," she muttered and after signing off to Janine, stood. "Have you eaten, yet? I have a small roast in the oven."

Hunter looked at her and said, "I could eat."

She narrowed her eyes, "You could also wash the dishes afterwards."

Hunter just laughed as she walked out the room before sitting in her seat. Hunter clicked on the message screen for Blake.

BlueT: Hey, Blake. It's Hunter.

FactoryBlake: Is she gone?

BlueT: Yes.

FactoryBlake: So you going to tell her?

BlueT: She's making something to eat, right now.

FactoryBlake: TELL HER

BlueT: Maybe, I got to go.

Hunter quickly clicked the screen closed and stood. He looked at Tori's small study, the pictures on the wall of her family and friends. There was a picture of all of them at the Nationals and one at their ninja graduation. There was one of Tori, Marah and Kapri at the beach and another of her, Cam and Shane at the track. There was a picture of Blake and Tori sitting next to each other at the top of the cliff overlooking the beach. Blake had his arm around her and she had leaned her head on Blake's shoulder. Something must have made them laugh because Tori had a wide smile and Blake's eyes sparked with laughter. There was another one of Tori in a flowing evening gown. The fabric draped over her form in soft layers. She was laughing as she stood on the edge of a fountain, the bottom of the dress pooled around her as she held up a part of the skirt as she dipped her toes in the water.

"Hey," Tori said stepping up next to him.

"When was this?" Hunter asked pointing at the photograph.

Tori rolled her eyes. "Remember last year when I went to my cousin's wedding? Katie, the bride, dared me to go splash in the fountain of the hotel. Needless to say, the photographer caught the picture, my dress got soaked and my mom was mortified. Dad just laughed and got a copy and framed it for me."

"It's a great picture," Hunter said softly, "You look beautiful in it."

Tori turned to Hunter with a smile on her face, "Thank you, Hunter."

Hunter grinned back at her, "So how come I don't have any pictures of you?"

Tori blinked at him. "You don't have any? You want one?"

"Sure, my rooms at the academy are pretty sparse. Having a photo or two might help," Hunter said taking a step back and putting some distance between them.

"I'm sure we could find one, or just ask Marah for one. I bet she has some," Tori shook her head in exasperation. "I don't know what Dustin was thinking of when he got her that digital camera. She kept taking pictures at the academy and of us in our ninja gear and Cam had to keep going in and deleting all the ones that would blow our ninja cover." Hunter chuckled and shook his head. "Anyway, you ready for dinner?"

"Always," Hunter replied and he slipped a casual arm around Tori as she led the way to the kitchen.

The sat and chatted about the academy and the latest crazy antics of Dustin, Marah and Kapri. Hunter told Tori about the fire that a thunder ninja started on the gazebo roof as Omino Sensei was sitting in it and how Shane and he were planning on taking out Kelli for her birthday. Hunter, as usual, ate twice as much as Tori and very happily moved to do her dishes as payment for the meal.

"So, Tori, what are you up to this weekend?" Hunter asked as he finished loading the dishwasher.

"Nothing much," she replied as she pulled out a carton of ice cream and two spoons.

She moved to the couch and Hunter followed looking over the selection of DVDs before picking one and popping it into the player. He sat next to her and she companionably handed over the remote and a spoon. Hunter started the movie and grinned as the credits started rolling. He loved gory horror flicks, the scarier the better and while Tori didn't share his love, she was a good sport and occasionally picked one out for them to watch.

"I was thinking, maybe we could go out."

"Yeah?" she replied distracted as she popped a bit of ice cream into her mouth and offered the carton to him.

He dug out a scoop and casually waved the spoon about as he spoke. "Yeah, you know, dinner, dancing."

"Huh, there's a thing on Pier 32 this weekend. I think some kind of fair. I think there's dancing after dark. You want to call the guys?" She confiscated the carton back from Hunter.

Here is was. Hunter could say yes and it would be the gang going out or . . .

"No, Tor, I was planning on making reservations at Koga's. I want to get all dressed up. I just want us to go out."

Tori stopped digging in the carton of ice cream. As if moving in slow motions, she put her spoon in the carton and placed the carton on the coffee table in front of them. She took the remote from Hunter's hand and placed the movie on pause before putting the remote down next to the ice cream. She shifted so that she was sitting on the couch facing him and asked very seriously. "Hunter, are you asking me out?"

His eyes met hers and just as seriously as she asked, he answered. "Yes."

"Like on a date?"

"Yes."

"You and I?" Tori paused for a long second, "On a date?"

"Is that so hard to believe?" Hunter suddenly shot up off the couch and ran his fingers through his hair. He started to pace the room, "I like you, Tori, I think I may more than like you. I think I want to spend even more time with you than I usually do. I want the guys at the track and at the beach to stop flirting with you so I can stop glaring at them all the time. I want . . ." he stopped pacing and almost threw himself on the couch with an arm over his face. "I really wanted to not mess this up."

Everything was quiet and still for a moment, then Hunter felt Tori move. Her fingers lightly glided along his forearm until she reached his wrist and gently pulled his arm down. He turned to look at her and she had a gentle smile on her face. "More than like me?" she asked.

"Yeah. How do you explain it, Tori? I mean, you know I love you, and I know you love me, but I want more. How do you figure that out, you know? It's had me all mucked up for the past week. Then, I figured you'd know, because you felt that more for Blake. But after the whole Blake thing, how do you feel that for me?" Hunter sighed as he moved his head back to contemplate the ceiling. "I really wanted to not mess this up."

Tori's lips twitched as she said softly, "You already told me that." She had laid his hand palm up on her thigh and was playing with his fingers, pushing them flat and rubbing circles on his palm with her thumbs. She finally linked her fingers with his. "When do you want to go out?"

"Saturday."

"Good. You want any more ice cream?"

"No."

Tori smiled as she let go of his hand and stood to take the ice cream carton to the freezer. When she got back, Hunter had started the movie over. Tori tilted her head, watching him for a moment, and then as if making a decision, she sat down next to Hunter, curled her legs up onto the sofa and gently leaned on him. Hunter shifted a bit, so that he could slip an arm around her and Tori nestled a little closer to get comfortable before laying her head tentatively on his shoulder. Hunter leaned his head a bit and casually, brushed his lips over her forehead before turning his attention to the TV. He couldn't stop the grin that broke over his face when Tori slipped her arm around his waist and ignoring the film completely, fell into a contented sleep.