A/N:

This chapter is shorter than all the others, but for good reason. This is the end, ladies and gentlemen. Thanks for sticking around. I hope to see you all again when I decide to write another story.

Read, Review, Enjoy. And keep making it shine.

-Flame

Tori wasn't sure what she was expecting when she walked into Jade's apartment, but it sure wasn't what she found.

What she found was Jade sitting at her kitchen table, staring at an empty bottle, crying. Her hair was a mess. Her clothes were tossed on with no consideration to whether they matched or not.

Tori had been quiet when she came in, so she wasn't even sure that Jade knew if she was there. Since Jade hadn't looked up, she figured she hadn't heard her.

She walked into the kitchen, and pulled a chair out, sitting down across from Jade. The smell of alcohol hung in the air, and she wrinkled her nose, trying to ignore it.

Jade refused to look up at her, and Tori refused to say anything. So they sat in silence, one with tears streaking her cheeks, one with anger burning in her heart.

It was Jade who broke first, glancing up at Tori. Green eyes met cold brown. She had never seen Tori like this, and it scared her.

"Why ya here?" she slurred. "Beck send ya again?"

Tori didn't answer, instead just staring back at the inebriated woman across from her.

Jade shook her head, pushing her chair back, standing up. "Fuck this." She walked over to her cabinet, pulling it open, rummaging around. She came back out with another bottle, this one full of a deep red wine. She pulled the cork, and began to lift the bottle to her lips.

Tori stood, walking over to her quickly. Her fingers curled around Jade's wrist, refusing to allow her to drink.

"Le'go." Jade demanded, pulling her arm back, trying to remove herself from Tori's grip. When Tori tightened her grip, she pulled harder, wrenching her arm out of her grasp. It was too hard, though, and the wine bottle went flying behind her, crashing onto the floor, sending shards of glass and splashes of red over the wooden floor.

Both women stared at the broken bottle, both too shocked to say anything for a moment. After that moment of surprise was over, though, Jade blew up.

"You fucking gank, look what you made me do!" she yelled, pointing at the bottle.

Tori gritted her teeth, furious. "Me? I'm not the one who decided to get drunk and fuck with things!" she turned around, walking towards the door. "I don't need this."

Jade reached out, grabbing her wrist. "Don't walk away from me!"

Tori pulled her arm out of her grasp, whirling around. "Don't tell me what to do! I don't need your bullshit, Jade, and I don't need you!"

"Then why are you even here?!"

"I don't know!" Tori yelled back, rage rising to the surface. "Maybe because your ex-boyfriend called me, and told me you were drunk? Maybe because I actually care about you, and whether or not you fuck yourself up? Or maybe it's because I'm a fucking idiot! What does it matter?"

"It matters because you're in my apartment for no goddamn reason!" Jade shot back, her anger escalating quickly.

"Oh, fuck you!"

"Just leave me alone, dammit!" Jade turned, walking away from Tori, a bit of a shake in her step.

Tori watched her for a moment, feeling her heart racing. She forced herself to calm down a bit before saying anything else. "Jade." The other woman didn't turn.

She walked over to where she stood, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Jade, I came here because I didn't want you to hurt yourself, or wallow in depression, or anything like that. That's why I originally came, all those days ago, and that's why I'm here now."

"But why?" came the shaky reply. "Why do you care?"

Tori turned her so that she was facing her, and laid a gentle kiss on her lips. "Because I think I always have."

Jade stared at her for a moment, then sighed. "Tori, can we really do this?"

"I don't know, but I want to try." She cocked her head a bit, glancing at the floor. "Do you?"

Jade hesitated, then pulled Tori in close, lips meeting lips. When they parted, she nodded. "Yeah. I think I do."

Tori smiled in relief, and let Jade pull her in to an embrace that was both familiar and altogether new.