Missing

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N:

Chapter 43 (Whole Again)

"It's over." Tori set her hand over Rico's and reached over with her other hand to comb her fingers through his hair. "I wish you were awake to see it." It felt like it had been so long that she wasn't sure if he would ever wake. The more she considered that possibility, the more her heart would break.

"I guess in the end Holly had to take something from me, whether it was my sister or you." Part of her wanted to march over to the Mexican prisons herself and kill the woman herself. It was at the point she questioned why she bothered letting Holly live that day. "Sometimes doing the right thing sucks, Rico." The tears in her eyes fell like rivers over her cheeks and framed the tip of her lips, beckoning her to sweep them away with her tongue.

She leaned over him and her voice began to break. "I'm falling apart. Even with Trina back, I honestly don't know how to go on. You have to pull through this." She dropped her head to Rico's chest and her body started to tremble. "You have to pull through. I-I did the right thing. I didn't kill that woman, I wanted to-god knows I wanted to, but I didn't."

No matter the days that passed, this was routine now. She fought desperately not to give up hope. "It's getting harder, Rico. I've tried so hard to keep fighting, so hard to believe you're going to wake up." Her shoulders and body sank as she threw her head to the sky, screaming out at whatever god was there. "What do you want from me? What is it going to take? I've done everything I could…"

The tough façade she put on eroded, and all of her vulnerability seemed to show itself where it once was hidden away. Tori's hand slid across Rico's chest and she closed her eyes. She trembled while rising to her feet and sniffed in the air. "I guess I should accept it, Rico. There's a chance you won't wake up, and I won't give believing you'll wake, but…I can't keep going on like this. I just can't." As she said the final words, a sob shook from her and saliva spat from the buildup in her mouth.

She moved her hand up over her eyes and rubbed them with her fingers. "I can't do it." Tori lowered her hand and turned around. "I love you, Rico. So much. But I can't keep coming here, I can't keep torturing myself…I'm sorry."

She started for the door and stopped before the frame. Her hand rested on the side and she looked over her shoulder with a whimper. The only man she'd ever truly cared about, and Holly took him from her. "It isn't fair. It's not fair that I should lose."

Tori stepped out of the door and moved her thumb up and across her left eye. "Who said you had to?" Her body froze as the door struck the back of her right foot. "Mi Amor?" Her eyes shot open and she spun around, throwing her hands over her mouth, catching a gasp when she saw Rico's own gaze looking at her.

His lips were pressed together and his fingers closed inwards, grasping tightly at the bed sheet. His chest rose slowly and Rico let out a subtle groan. "I love you too, Tori."

Without another word, she rushed to his side and threw her arms around him, lightening her grip only when she heard him grunt. "God." Then it hit her, he must have been awake for some time and she didn't know it. Her heart jumped and she slid upwards a bit. "How long have you been awake? How much did you hear?" Rico slid his lips into a smirk and raised his eyebrows.

"Long enough." He raised his hand up and caressed her blushing cheek. "Long enough to see the vulnerable side of you that you don't let out…and I love it."

"It's hideous."

"It is beautiful, every part of you is." She rolled her eyes and helped him to sit up. She moved beside him, cuddling close to his body and holding him. She buried her face into his shoulder and wept. "I am glad that you found your sister, and glad that the trials are over with." He paused and his eyebrow rose. "They are over, are they not?"

She brought her head up and blew out a swift breath of air. "Yes. She was found guilty, then extradited to Mexico. Jade's mother had been murdered there, killed by Holly."

"So much has happened. You will have to tell me everything."

"I will." She wiped her eyes and slid off the bed. First, she needed to get the nurses. She gazed at him and felt a wave of relief and joy sweeping over her. Finally, she was sure she could be happy. "Let me tell the doctor you're awake." Tori folded her arms and drew in another swift breath. "I was about to chase down that old friend of yours and tell her you were a good guy now, if you didn't wake up."

"Ooh." Rico cringed and started to chuckle. "The Stewarts? Please don't, I have a reputation to uphold and rather like them thinking I grew up a scoundrel." He dropped his hand to his stomach and shrugged. "But then, I suppose you'd just have to look and see what the girl grew up to be-maybe my not being a scoundrel is a good thing."

He smiled at her and melted away the tension inside. She dropped her arms and closed her eyes. "God, I-I was so scared."

"It's okay, I'm awake now. I love you." His eyes dropped down to her hand and he pointed a finger at her. The smirk on his face increased and she brought her hand up in surprise. "Is that the ring I bought you?" Fresh tears flooded her eyes and she quickly nodded, causing him to drop his hand and sigh. "Ah what a time for a marriage proposal, no?"

"You should know. I accept. Everyone knows about us-I wish I'd told them sooner, Rico. I-"

"It's fine. As long as you're happy."

"I-I'll grab the nurse…."

He was processed and sent on his way, so when all was said and done, Tori was able to finally explain everything that happened. He was surprised by some of the news, but overall, thrilled that everything seemed to work out for the better.

Everybody was waiting for them when they got to the house, and needless to say, there was not a dry eye to be had. Even Trina had tears of joy while meeting the man that was to be her brother-in-law.

As the celebration went on, Tori was able to step out onto the back patio with Trina so they could have some time to themselves. "I'll be glad when things calm down a bit," Tori said, "I'm not used to it all." She looked to her sister with a bright smile and crossed her arms. "How about you? Are you okay?"

"I wish you'd stop asking me that. I'm fine." Trina walked forward and looked up to the orange sky. "You know something? I've never noticed how beautiful the sunset is." Tori looked sideways at the sky and let herself relax as the warm wind blew across her face. "It's not something I ever thought about, and not something I ever really wondered about missing."

"There are a ton of other things that I guess could catch a person's attention. It's easy to miss a sunset." The setting sun didn't mean much to her, despite the beauty of it, but she understood the value and impact it had on Trina. "It is important to slow down and take it in, though."

"It takes me back to when we were little girls, and we'd run around together, getting into all sorts of trouble." Tori smirked as her sister bowed her head. "I missed those days most, and I always wanted Victoria to be able to experience that life. Now she can."

"Yeah." She walked up beside Trina and moved an arm around the girl's shoulder. "And you too, you and I can work on getting back some lost years."

Trina's gaze tore from the ground and she looked at Tori with concern. "Do you really think it's possible? Things can't be back to normal, not the way they were before."

"No, but we'll have to find a new normal. All of us, but we don't have to do it alone." She looked back at the glass doors and watched the celebrations. "Me, Rico...You, Jesse and Victoria….Jade and Beck, everyone's got somebody to make it through this-and also, we've got each other now. No one can keep sisters apart. Not for very long, anyway."

"No. Not for long." Trina looked back at the setting sun and Tori joined her. Within seconds, Trina's head had fallen to her shoulders. There was plenty for them to talk about. Whether it was upcoming marriages, or children being born, or even new relationships that were forming.

There was a lot to catch up on as well, and Tori was certain that they would, but tonight they didn't have to. They could stand for hours, silently gazing at the sunset and then the stars; there was no reason to say anything.

What was one single night, when they had the rest of their lives to be together and to talk?

"Tori?" Trina's voice trembled and tears slowly drifted from her eyes. She continued to gaze up at the sky, her body was relaxed and her shoulders had sloped downwards. "I love you."

Her heart rose and she turned her head sideways, taking in the moment in its fullest. "I love you too, Trina." She turned back to the brilliant, natural portrait before them and her smile deepened. "I love you too, and I'm glad you're here with me."

"Same. And Tori?"

"What?"

"I'm nervous. About the future. What do we do now? Where do I go from here?"

"We'll figure it out." It would be a rough road, but she'd do everything she could to help Trina get back where she needed to be. It was going to take years to recover, and even for her it would take years to bounce back from something that took such a toll on her emotions and her mentality. "I'm nervous too. Let's work on that together, and then, I think everything will be fine."

"One step at a time?"

"Yes." The worst was over, for both of them. While no one knew what the future held, there was one thing they could be certain of; they were safe. Holly could do no further damage. "All we have to do is live our lives a step at a time, the knots will work themselves out, and we can be happy."

Trina stepped closer to her and set her head onto her shoulder with a heavy sigh. This part of their lives, the hell they'd been through, it was finished and what had once been missing from their lives now filled the void that had once been left in their hearts.

The final chapter. I'm amazed and thrilled it was so enjoyed by everyone, and I thank everybody for their contributions along the way. Keep on the lookout for my other works, and new works to come. Thank you again, and without further ado, I hope you've enjoyed the final chapter.